For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman.
You don't need to spew a bunch of statistics to convince you that people don't smoke like they used to.
Because while it's true that the unhealthy habit saw a steady decline once the public became
widely aware of the dangers of cigarette smoke in the 1960s, it's also true that we've had a definitive vibe shift.
I was born in 92, so I'm just old enough to remember the days of smoking sections in restaurants.
Yikes.
And now it genuinely shocks my sensibilities to see someone lighting up in an outdoor dining area.
Which is how it should be, because smoking is really bad for you.
It can cause numerous cancers, potentially fatal lung disease,
and heart failure, to name just a few of the really heavy hitters.
It's also associated with an increased risk of autoimmune disease, type 2 diabetes,
and erectile dysfunction, and the list goes on and on.
But while the data we have on smoking in the U.S.
Still shows the low rates one would expect
for an activity that we know is really, really bad for us, the vibes have shifted again.
Many have noticed that young folks on social media are glamorizing cigarettes,
and some experts suspect that public health data just hasn't caught up to show a new smoking surge.
Here to tell us more is Adam Kovac, a breaking news reporter here at Scientific American.
Adam, thanks so much for coming on to chat with us.
It's my pleasure.