How on earth can I know?

How on earth can I know? How can I know that all the Hollywood movie bad boys stopped smoking? How would I know if the main female character just had a nervous breakdown? And that she is mentally unstable, if she is not lighting a cigarette with trembling hands?
Do we have to rely on the skills of the actors? The classical Hollywood film finally lives of its simple symbolism and its dimensionality. Without the typical accessories like the cigarette, I can hardly spread my sympathies. I do not want to. No.