A study undertaken by Harvard University found that smoking in films compares unfavourably to real life statistics. The research looked at 50 Hollywood movies from the 90s and revealed that 42 percent of actresses smoked in them, as opposed to the 25 percent of women who smoke in real life.
Another worrying finding was that young actresses were four times more likely to be smoking on screen than older actresses. And, surprisingly, women smoked more than men in films. Smoking in the movies was used to signify character traits, the study claims. For men, cigarettes were a way to show macho characteristics or to bond with other men. In the case of women, smoking was shorthand for showing sex appeal, or attempting to control their emotions.