Netflix
Just before the third season of Stranger Things dropped, a report from the anti-smoking group Truth Initiative found that Netflix depicted tobacco use more often than even cable or broadcast shows. And the show mentioned earlier is named as one of biggest offenders. The report reads, “The popularity of streaming combined with the pervasive rise of smoking in episodic content points to an emerging threat to a new generation of young Americans.” The streaming service promises to depict smoking less and pledges to closely monitor, particularly the content it aims at younger viewers. Truth Initiative tracked not just the instances of smoking, but any appearance of tobacco products.
In a statement told to EW, Netflix said it “strongly supports artistic expression. We also recognize that smoking is harmful and when portrayed positively on screen can adversely influence young people. Going forward, all new projects that we commission with ratings of TV-14 or below for series or PG-13 or below for films, will be smoking and e-cigarette free—except for reasons of historical or factual accuracy. For new projects with higher ratings, there’ll be no smoking or e-cigarettes unless it’s essential to the creative vision of the artist or because it’s character-defining (historically or culturally important). In addition, starting later this year, smoking information will be included as part of our ratings on the Netflix service so our members can make informed choices about what they watch.”