Netflix criticised by anti-smoking group
The nonprofit Truth Initiative wants a decrease in smoking
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An anti-smoking group has hit Netflix with a major criticism. The Truth Initiative is a nonprofit that has studied original series produced by and featured on Netflix. Specifically, the group looked at the 14 most popular shows with those aged 15 to 24. As reported by NME, The Truth Initiative claim that Netflix has 319 scenes with use, or implied use of, tobacco. They allege that this is more than double the amount found on broadcast television. NME reports that ‘Stranger Things’ was the show with the most “smoking incidents”, at 182. AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ was second with 94 incidents.
The president and CEO of the nonprofit, Robin Koval, released a statement about the findings. He detailed “a pervasive re-emergence of smoking across screens that is glamorising and renormalising a deadly habit to millions of impressionable young people”, as NME reports. A Netflix spokesperson said the company is “interested to find out about this study”.