Gen Z — largely comprised of middle- and high-school students — reported the lowest smoking rates on record in 2024, according to CDC and FDA data, but that trend may be in jeopardy.

“Overall, the decline in smoking in the US, [down] to about 11.9% of the population overall, is a great public health success story that has occurred over the past 20 years,” Dr. Neil W. Schluger, dean of the School of Medicine of New York Medical College and pulmonologist, told Fox News Digital.

Some experts, however, fear that the “cool factor” could be making a comeback, hooking a new generation on smoking.

In certain populations, there is reportedly a movement to re-glamorize cigarette smoking, Schluger said.

One Instagram account, @Cigfluencers, posts photos of celebrities with cigarettes to its mor

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