I don't think the intentional is to get people to smoke who otherwise wouldn't. It's to get the people who are going to buy cigarettes, and in doing so, chose their brand. When confronted with many choices of competing products, having someone you trust and admire favour a particular product may be enough to tip the scales and get you to take that option.

I find myself doing this often, due to all the podcast ads I hear! If I'm going to buy a mattress or printed framed picture I'm going to start with I've heard about from some "influencer" I follow.

But why follow the influencer at all?

I guess because we "follow" people who interest us or are like minded. I don't set out to "follow an influencer", but when I subscribe to a podcast, or follow someone on twitter because I find their comedy hilarious; that's what I'm doing.

You don't think the tobacco industry wants people to start smoking???

And yet you still remember Camel cigarettes, despite the fact that their ads haven't been aired in half a century.

Most advertising isn't designed to force you to buy, that's not how people behave. Ads are about establishing name recognition first, then nudging you one small step at a time towards a purchase.

How about a less fraught and more relevant example: when a famous model with clout wears an outfit then that makes the outfit desirable.

along with female ig influencers shilling brands/creating their own (i can count a couple girls i know making bikini brands), so many ig influencers push juuls/vape pens