A content analysis of smoking fetish videos on YouTube: regulatory implications for tobacco control

Health Commun. 2010 Mar;25(2):97-106. doi: 10.1080/10410230903544415.

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence, accessibility, and characteristics of eroticized smoking portrayal, also referred to as smoking fetish, on YouTube. The analysis of 200 smoking fetish videos revealed that the smoking fetish videos are prevalent and accessible to adolescents on the website. They featured explicit smoking behavior by sexy, young, and healthy females, with the content corresponding to PG-13 and R movie ratings. We discuss a potential impact of the prosmoking image on youth according to social cognitive theory, and implications for tobacco control.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Female
  • Fetishism, Psychiatric*
  • Humans
  • Imitative Behavior
  • Internet / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Internet / statistics & numerical data*
  • Mass Media
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Sex Factors
  • Smoking*
  • Videotape Recording / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Videotape Recording / statistics & numerical data*
  • Young Adult