They’re too wellness-obsessed to spark a Marlboro, but Gen Z is popping open Diet Cokes like they’re nicotine patches in a can.
The latest viral vice lighting up TikTok? The “fridge cigarette” — a.k.a. a crisp can of DC, straight from the fridge, enjoyed with all the ceremonial reverence of a smoke break, minus the tar and tobacco.
“Overheard someone call Diet Coke a ‘fridge cigarette’ and nothing’s been more true to me since,” TikTokker @reallyrachelreno declared in a now-viral video with over 3.5 million views. Caption? “Time for a crispy ciggy in the summer.”
In other words: Clean Girl is out. Crispy Girl is in.
Another TikTok convert, @thejessiesimpson, sipped a Diet Coke at her office desk while quoting the phrase in white text over her video: “Just read where someone referred to a Diet Coke as a ‘fridge cigarette’ and I haven’t read anything truer since.”
Commenters couldn’t agree more.
“I call it a CDC ‘Crispy Diet Coke’ lol,” one fan wrote. “I legit never ever drink soda. Have never. Recently though? Obsessed with my daily Diet Coke. Idk what’s going on..” another confessed. One simply wrote: “I felt that in my soul!”
@reallyrachelreno took it further, comparing sodas to smokes: Diet Coke is Parliaments, Coke Zero is American Spirits, regular Coke is Marlboro Reds — and full-fat Coke in a glass bottle? That’s a cigar.
Mentions of Menthols were, naturally, slanderous.
Snaxshot writer Andrea Hernández summed it up perfectly in a recent newsletter, as reported by Fast Company: “Gen Z is obsessed with Diet Coke. What is now being dubbed as ‘fridge cigarettes’ has earned a cultural cachet without Coca-Cola having to do anything . . . but focus on delivering on taste and product.”
Even Coca-Cola is leaning into the nostalgia.
A spokesperson told The Sun the brand’s beverages are “perfectly safe and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle.”
That said, as previously reported by The Post, experts warn the cult-fave crispies come with their own risks — and we’re not just talking about caffeine jitters.
“Diet Coke, like other carbonated beverages, is highly acidic,” Dr. Raj Juneja told The Sun.
“The acidity of Diet Coke can contribute to tooth enamel erosion over time.” That weakened enamel “can become more susceptible to cavities and sensitivity,” he added.
Orthodontist Dr. Khaled Kasem advises sipping through a straw and chasing with water, as he said to the outlet.
“Insulin is released by our body in response to foods… and it helps those nutrients get into our body,” Dr. Matthew Snelson also noted to the publication.
But he clarified, “There’s no evidence that the types of sweeteners used in Diet Coke (specifically: aspartame, acesulfame K) affect insulin.”
Still, artificial sweeteners have been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes — and WHO recently warned they’re not a great tool for weight loss.
Bottom line? The “fridge cig” might not kill you like actual cigs can — but it’s still not doctor-approved.
As one TikTok user put it best: “Wow, that’s so real. It just takes the edge off.”
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