Brat summer might be over as we grapple with how dark it is at 16:00, but the concept of being a brat – “pack of cigs and a Bic lighter”, according to the singer Charli XCX – lives on. There's Rosalia gifting Charli XCX a bouquet of cigarettes on her birthday, Addison Rae smoking not one but two at the same time in her music video Aquamarine, and the actor Paul Mescal saying he refused to give up smoking when getting into shape for Gladiator II. The risks of smoking are well known – it's still the leading cause of preventable death in the UK and is responsible for nearly 78,000 deaths annually.
GP and cancer specialist Dr Misra-Sharp says even in low quantities, smoking increases the risk of serious diseases like lung cancer, which has a 90% five-year mortality rate. Despite this, singers, actors and influencers seem to be bringing smoking back into vogue - quite literally, with cigarettes making a return as on the New York Fashion Week runways earlier this year as accessories. So, why are cigarettes being glamourised again? Lucy, a 20-year-old university student, says she took up smoking recently because "it's just what everyone does".
Almost all her friends also smoke and she says it's more than just a habit, it's an aesthetic. "I definitely think everyone trying to be brat has influenced people to start smoking because Charli herself says you have to have a pack of cigs if you really want to embody the vibe." Chari XCX isn't the only celebrity to inadvertently be.
