It's not a good time to be a tobacco company. More and more countries are implementing smoking bans, cigarette packets have to carry scary labels and nasty pictures illustrating how smoking affects your health. You can’t even advertise in most places and when you can, it’s only possible to say what’s right in the eyes of the regulator... damn, wouldn’t like to be one of their PR or marketing people.
But it was not always like this. Smoking has only very recently been labelled as a bad thing.
Apparently, people first started using tobacco leaves for smoking and chewing in 1000BC (or even as early as 5000BC depending on your source of information). It was the Mayan civilisations of Central America who got there first, and tobacco is said to have reached Europe in the 16th century. From what I gather not a lot of people smoked then (I guess it was pretty expensive because it had to be shipped in) and it wasn’t until 1858 that fears about smoking were raised. But this was not taken too seriously.
Around the 1920s, cigarettes became much cheaper because of better production methods. More people, of course, started smoking and therefore it became more noticeable that the activity had some kind of health implications (more people to observe usually always leads to better statistical studies!). In 1929, Fritz Lickint from Germany, published statistical evidence of a lung cancer–tobacco link but the subject remained largely taboo until similar reports were published in Britain and the US in the ‘50s and ‘60s. From there the fortunes of the humble cigarette were reversed and the demonisation of cigarettes which prevails today gained momentum.
But this is still a controversial subject. There are a hefty number of pro-smoking lobbies the world over. Further, we all know there are many scientific research projects going on trying to uncover the benefits and harm of this-and-that- recently I found out about a study which offers evidence that nicotine can stimulate the brain (and hence actually make you more intelligent). So perhaps I should to start chewing nicotine gum to help with these exams that are coming up... maybe I could even launch my own brand of “makes you clever gum”.
This postcard is on its way to Sue Wood.
L-plate
But it was not always like this. Smoking has only very recently been labelled as a bad thing.
Apparently, people first started using tobacco leaves for smoking and chewing in 1000BC (or even as early as 5000BC depending on your source of information). It was the Mayan civilisations of Central America who got there first, and tobacco is said to have reached Europe in the 16th century. From what I gather not a lot of people smoked then (I guess it was pretty expensive because it had to be shipped in) and it wasn’t until 1858 that fears about smoking were raised. But this was not taken too seriously.
Around the 1920s, cigarettes became much cheaper because of better production methods. More people, of course, started smoking and therefore it became more noticeable that the activity had some kind of health implications (more people to observe usually always leads to better statistical studies!). In 1929, Fritz Lickint from Germany, published statistical evidence of a lung cancer–tobacco link but the subject remained largely taboo until similar reports were published in Britain and the US in the ‘50s and ‘60s. From there the fortunes of the humble cigarette were reversed and the demonisation of cigarettes which prevails today gained momentum.
But this is still a controversial subject. There are a hefty number of pro-smoking lobbies the world over. Further, we all know there are many scientific research projects going on trying to uncover the benefits and harm of this-and-that- recently I found out about a study which offers evidence that nicotine can stimulate the brain (and hence actually make you more intelligent). So perhaps I should to start chewing nicotine gum to help with these exams that are coming up... maybe I could even launch my own brand of “makes you clever gum”.
This postcard is on its way to Sue Wood.
L-plate
January 22, 2011 at 9:21 PM
This is a fabulous piece. Great construction and theme.
I can see the theme coming together at last it's a really cool series L-plate.
January 22, 2011 at 10:14 PM
Cheers Andy, it's such good fun finding all this stuff out. That alone makes this project brilliant, but the bells and whistles of a great community here is what makes it so rewarding.
January 22, 2011 at 10:19 PM
Compliment gratefully received as ever L-plate. Been reading all your blogs over at Timetric too. Your writing is really coming on lately, it's much more compelling to read, I'm personally really enjoying it now much more. Glad to have younblogging with us, it's a pleasure to see how people are developing.
By the way, unlikely I'll be there tomorrow morning, I've got quite a bit to do this weekend. Have. Good one though and I'll be over to yours zoo. To pick up some sprats and Russian newspapers.
January 22, 2011 at 11:55 PM
Aaaaw thanks - the writing thing's gotta be attributed to this blog, plus the fact I no longer waste time on unimportant things and people *so long, corporate sector job!*
You know you're always welcome in this part of town for some papers and sprats so see you soon :)
February 2, 2011 at 7:47 PM
Can't wait to get to Box652 to see if this arrived. HUGE snowstorms, sleet, and slush here. Schools closed, and I'm staying inside!
I wonder, now that the truth about tobacco is generally accepted, will meat be the next to fall?
Only the shadow knows.
February 12, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Good question about meat - and an interesting one... recently I've seen that quite a lot of Russian people I know are turning vegetarian or mostly vegetarian. Anyone familiar with the cuisine of Eastern Europe surely knows how meat-heavy the traditional dishes are... it's been a big surprise to see meat pushed down in terms of "desirability".
You certainly might be on to something here, Sue!
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