#WorldNoTobaccoDay
The practice of smoking was promoted by cigarette companies using
Hollywood and by portraying smoking among women as symbol of women’s
emancipation.
During 1950s everybody smoked in the movies. Smoking was promoted by Hollywood stars. Who were
bankrolled by cigarette companies, as cool sexy and a manly habit.
Hollywood icons such as James Dean and Humphrey Bogart made smoking
as the embodiment of cool and glamour. Screen beauties such as Audrey Hepburn
and Marlene Dietrich made smoking appear sensual and sophisticated.
American cigarette company Philip Morris made the chiselled
looking Marlboro Man who declared: "For man's flavour come to Marlboro
Country."
The cigarette brand "Camel" ran an advertisement -"More doctors smoke Camels
than any other cigarette."
In 1928 George W Hill, the president of the American Tobacco
Company, appreciated the potential market that could be found among women and
said, ““It will be like opening a gold mine right in our front yard.”
To increase the number of women smokers Hill decided to engage
Edward Bernays, who today is known as the father of public relations, to help
him get women smokers. Bernays decided to eliminate the social taboo of women
smoking in public. Torches of Freedom" was a phrase used by Bernays to urge
women’s smoking by exploiting women's desire for a better life during the
women’s liberation movement in the United States. Cigarettes were described as mark
of emancipation and equality with men.
"The Torches of Freedom campaign was a classic instance of using sexual liberation as a form of control. It proposed addiction as a form of freedom."
The early 20th century and onwards smoking has been intimately
associated with popular music. Jazz was from early on closely linked with the
smoking that was practiced in the places where it was played, such as taverns, jazz
clubs and even brothels. This further promoted smoking.
In 1948, the British physiologist Richard Doll published the
pioneering studies that proved that smoking could cause grave health damage. In
1950, he published research in the British Medical Journal that indicated a
close connection between smoking and lung cancer. Since then a number of
research have proved his study as correct.
In 1964 the United States Surgeon General's Report on
Smoking and Health suggested the relationship between smoking and cancer.
This generated public awareness that Cigarette smoking was
not a very manly habit nor a torch for women’s emancipation. In fact it was a
gateway to death and disease.
People today realise that smokers have yellow teeth and breathless
lungs. They are at risk of developing cancer and osteoporosis, becoming
infertile compared to non-smokers.
Most women find smokers
unattractive and quite a few of them have a no-smokers policy when it comes to
dating.
The number of scenes in cinemas that show cigarettes has
fallen radically in the last five years.
Magazines have replaced the cigarette in the model’s hand
with other accessories. Restaurants have converted their smoking section to
just another non-smoking section.
Hence smoking is not cool or glamorous as it used to be.
