In a study on lung cancer patients, 48% of subjects had quit smoking prior to diagnosis, usually easily, despite prior attempts. Lung cancer tumors secrete a substance that disrupts nicotine addiction, but the study was buried because scientists worried it would encourage people to keep smoking.
smoking
Bhutan is smoking-free, carbon-negative…
Bhutan is smoking-free, carbon-negative country that passes no law unless it improves citizens’ well-being.
A dark patch was left intentionally…
A dark patch was left intentionally on the ceiling of Grand Central Station’s main concourse to show how dirty it was before and after it’s first cleaning. The patch was swabbed and tested revealing the dirty ceiling was about 100 years of built up nicotine from cigarette smoke.
The “lucky cigarette” tradition…
The “lucky cigarette” tradition of flipping a cigarette upside-down and saving it until the end of the pack originated from the myth that 1 cigarette in every Lucky Strike pack contained marijuana.
In 1999, Philip Morris attempted…
In 1999, Philip Morris attempted to convince the government of the Czech Republic that smoking was highly beneficial to the country, as more people would die earlier as a result, thus letting the government save millions on pensions, hospitals, and housing for elderly citizens.
Smoking Areas existed in Public…
Smoking Areas existed in Public High Schools back in the 1980’s. Students could smoke cigarettes on school grounds between classes in designated lounges.
Although Fidel Castro was always…
Although Fidel Castro was always pictured with cigars, he gave up smoking them in the 80’s and was quoted as saying: “The best thing you can do with a box of cigars give it to your enemy!”
American cigarette brands…
American cigarette brands add sugar in cigarettes to increase the appeal and addictive potential of smoking, which also ends up increasing toxicity and cancer risk.
A Japanese company has awarded…
A Japanese company has awarded its non-smoking employees 6 extra vacation days to compensate for the smoker’s smoke breaks.
Torches of Freedom
It used to be improper for women to smoke, but a single PR stunt changed all that. In 1929, women were hired to light up while marching in a parade, calling the cigarettes “Torches of Freedom.” So smoking became a symbol of equal rights, and sales skyrocketed.
The stunt was pulled by Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud), who is known as the godfather of Public Relations (he even coined that term, because his original word ‘Propaganda’ was getting a bad rap)
Bernays is also credited with making bacon & eggs into breakfast foods, convincing the public that fluoridated tap water was safe, and helping the CIA/United Fruit Company get away with overthrowing the Guatemalan government (which was democratically-elected).