Patterns: Glamorous Cinematic Smoking Fades to Black - New York Times

Movies are frequently accused of glamorizing smoking. But a study of movies since the 1990s has concluded that this is not the case. In fact, the people who are shown smoking in movies are usually bad guys and people of low-socioeconomic status (poor people). Independent films are the exception to this. Indie movies are more likely to show people smoking and to have appealing characters who smoke.