antique tobacco holder Treen 18-19th c Old School Glamour - Vintage

In the 1950s tobacco companies engaged in an advertising war surrounding the tar content in cigarettes that came to be known as the tar derby

This was a big disappointmnet to me

Tobacco companies targeted this thought process by telling physicians that if patients are going to smoke cigarettes regardless of what was advised for their health, at least prescribe for them a healthier brand of cigarettes

The backdrop here is limited smoking cessation programs in Black communities, medical racism, inadequate healthcare access, and an onslaught of predatory tobacco advertisements, such as associating smoking menthols with being cool