1946 R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company advertisement
Image: History.com
During the COVID pandemic we were all told that unless we were science-denying conspiracy theorists we should trust doctors and scientists. OK, let us consider this. Can you trust somebody? Yes. But if you wish to place your trust intelligently,you want to only trust those whose prior history is that of both wisdom and integrity. So, does the medical community in the US have such history?
The image above is pretty much all you need to know. The advertisement above came out in 1946. In it, a man playing a doctor, who may have been an actor or even an actual medical professional is helping R. J. Rejnolds, a major tobacco company, sell its product. At the time, the data on potential hams of tobacco consumption was not as solid as it is today but it was already common knowledge that tobacco smoking negatively affects the human respiratory function and that was reason enough to suspect that the behaviour was unhealthy and not one any doctor should advise, let alone advertise. Yet an advertisement doing exactly that came out, accompanied by no discernible protest or legal action by the medical community.
So what does that tell you? Unless you assume that "that was then and this is now", that somehow the medical community now is completely different than it was some 70 years ago this should give you pause if you were inclined to just blindly trust today's medical professionals. Also, ask yourself what would happen if you were alive then and tried to speak of the medical professional's involvement in such an advertisement campaign as being unscientific and unethical? Would you have been called a quack and a science denier? Should you be afraid of being called that now when you just follow the data and common sense?
As always - do your own research, use your own brain, reach your own conclusions.
References
When Cigarette Companies Used Doctors to Push Smoking - archive
Becky Little, History.com, 13 September 2018
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (wiki)
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Good that I don't smoke :)
#hive #posh
In the end they only look for their own economic benefits and do not care about people...
That's why I smoked Camels, until I realized they were wrapped in paper containing dioxin from the bleach.
Now I only smoke cigars.
BTW, nicotine is a very useful drug, and it isn't necessary to smoke tobacco to get it. Particularly folks certain smoking is harmful should be well educated on the beneficial effects of nicotine, such as that it is the most powerful nootropic known.
Thanks!
Dosage matters too, just like with any other drug. Abusing nicotine can be very unhealthy.
But clearly that is not what doctors should recommend as general entertainment, as the ad suggests. 😀
Honestly, that's one of it's more useful traits. It's an excellent vermifuge.
That is true, but it is also addictive.
So is O2.
Why they are smoking? don't they know it's dangerous for their health?
At the time, less data was available on the topic but I am sure there was enough to see that smoking in excess was not goof for your health.
This is an advertisement - and R. J. Reynolds, just like everyone else, wanted to sell their product.
I don't think anyone would dare to make such an advertisement in our time. Everything has changed
Well, now they push mRNA vaccines on us. Just as unethical.
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