Are cigarettes cool again? A cultural investigation.

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Democracy Dies in Darkness

Celebrities like Dua Lipa and Gracie Abrams have been photographed with cigs, as have social media influencers who like the retro vibes.

Illustration of a hand with cigarette in pink and blue colors

(The Washington Post illustration; iStock)

12 min

Delia Cai remembers everything about her first cigarette. Picture: Fall 2023. She and a friend were dining outdoors. Warm air, beautiful night. “There was this sense of: We survived this really terrifying pandemic, where we all thought about death a lot,” says the Deez Links newsletter author. Her friend offered a cigarette and Cai, searching her brain for a reason to say no, couldn’t find one.

What readers are saying

The comments overwhelmingly criticize the notion of smoking being "cool," highlighting the severe health risks, such as lung cancer and emphysema, associated with smoking. Many commenters share personal stories of loss and regret due to smoking, emphasizing the negative impact on... Show more

This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.

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