I think like most things in history, it was exaggerated over time. A pretty good and clear cut example of that, and one that has mostly been shown to have been an overblown myth, is the reaction to the War of the World radioplay and how it "lead to mass hysteria", when it reality they got about a thousand angry letters, of which only about a quarter had actually listened to said radioplay.
Were there people who thought smoking wasn't bad? Sure. And I wouldn't be surprised if many that did recognise smoking was bad didn't realise just how bad. But the idea that it was ever thought of as good is almost definitely revisionist utilising a very small subset of very deluded people that don't represent any larger demographic in any meaningful way.
the idea that it was ever thought of as good is almost definitely revisionist utilising a very small subset of very deluded people that don't represent any larger demographic in any meaningful way.
Maybe the dumb inference was made on the basis of old cigarette commercials with slogans like "Nine out of ten doctors smoke Camels."
I think like most things in history, it was exaggerated over time. A pretty good and clear cut example of that, and one that has mostly been shown to have been an overblown myth, is the reaction to the War of the World radioplay and how it "lead to mass hysteria", when it reality they got about a thousand angry letters, of which only about a quarter had actually listened to said radioplay.
Were there people who thought smoking wasn't bad? Sure. And I wouldn't be surprised if many that did recognise smoking was bad didn't realise just how bad. But the idea that it was ever thought of as good is almost definitely revisionist utilising a very small subset of very deluded people that don't represent any larger demographic in any meaningful way.
Maybe the dumb inference was made on the basis of old cigarette commercials with slogans like "Nine out of ten doctors smoke Camels."