The media play an important role in everyone's life and they have a great influence on the actions in which we participate daily. Although adults are generally not pressured by the media, young children and adolescents are very sensitive to what the media tells them to do and what is "cool." A major action glorified by the media is smoking and this causes minors to take up this horrible habit in an attempt to be happy or in some way look like their favorite celebrity. The media and Holly Wood in particular have both contributed to the smoking era and are a direct cause of the increase in smoking among today's youth. Before the health risks were discovered, in the 1960s, Hollywood began to glorify smoking, and as a result, by 1965, 50% of men and 33% of women smoked cigarettes. (http://www.tobaccofreeca.com/) Popular TV shows and commercials featured actors smoking and having fun, becoming happier, which the watching audience saw as something they could do and enjoy also. Actors and actresses were encouraged by tobacco companies to be shown using their products, which caused an increase in tobacco use in films and television shows during this period. The most famous and influential actors were chosen to appear in advertisements to increase tobacco sales for that certain company. (Elfenbien) Using this tactic, viewers would see their favorite celebrity smoking and think that's what they should do. do to be like them or potentially become famous. This in turn caused the smoking rate to increase from 19.2% of American smokers in the early 1900s to 44.2% of American smokers. (Elfenbien) It was as if a social revolution had occurred because Americans all over the United States...... middle of paper ......www.statisticbrain.com/ )Hollywood and the media themselves concluded that they were a direct factor in influencing young people to smoke. Since its beginnings in the 1960s, this phenomenon has spread to the present day and is still an ongoing problem. Young people are too easily manipulated by their favorite celebrities and media into believing that smoking is something that will make them cool and that the important people in their lives will like them. Even with tobacco broadcast regulations, this remains a problem and will continue to be a problem even if more protocols are adopted to prohibit smoking in the media. It is ultimately impossible to completely ban it and protect young people from viewing cigarettes. Regardless, the media will have some influence on this behavior, and because it persists, it will continue to occur..