Netflix to Cut Down on Tobacco Use and Depictions

Season 3 of Netflix’s Stranger Things made its debut on July 4, 2019, and while many critics continue to praise the sci-fi series for its creativity, others are criticizing the show’s depiction of characters using tobacco products, causing the popular streaming service to review the use of tobacco in all of its films and shows going forward.

Netflix has revealed that going forward, all new projects that it commissions with ratings of TV-14 or below for series or PG-13 or below for films will be smoking and e-cigarette free. The only times this new rule will not apply is when those films or series have reasons of historical or factual accuracy. Netflix told the Hollywood Reporter that while it supports artistic expression, it also recognizes that smoking is harmful and when portrayed positively on screen it can have an adverse influence on young people. For that reason, smoking and e-cigarette use will be eliminated unless it’s a character-defining trait.

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