Hollywood 'paid fortune to smoke'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7632963.stm


Industry documents released following anti-smoking lawsuits reveal the extent of the relationship between tobacco and movie studios.

One firm paid more than $3m in today's money in one year to stars.

Researchers writing in the Tobacco Control journal said "classic" films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s still helped promote smoking today.

--snip--

Back in the 1940's. Physicians also promoted tobacco brands back then, and did so into the 1960's. So back when doctors smoked during exams and told people to smoke menthol for health, 60 years ago, some film actors also promoted tobacco. 60 years ago.
Doctors were preferred spokesmen for smoking until the 1960s. I guess Clarke Gable should have been smarter than his own doctors? Context can be important. Your headline is misleading.

If you read the article, you would have seen that.

I posted this as an example of what the corporate criminals have been doing to us for many generations. Their motive is profit, regardless of the consequences.

I read the article, followed the link as well. So your snark is out of line.

I'm sorry if it buggegd youthat I wanted the issue to be made clear for those who will not follow the link and read the article. This is about people who are all dead, from a historical time. It is not about now, and sorry again, but that matters.

And part of why it matters is that back then there was very little knowlege of the health risks of smoking. Doctors sponsored and recommened smoking in general and particular brands for specific reasons. When the evil monster Clark Gable took money to promote a product, he would have had zero knowlege that the product was unsafe. The medical community did not discover the real problems with smoking until the 60s and that changed everything about the promotion and advertizing of cigs. Professionals stopped promoting them almost across the board, and almost instantly.

The author does not bother to point this out. So I did. Sue me for filling in the gaps.

Cigarette companies used to give doctors free samples.

For a while they were selling Kent brand for 50 cents but I found out recently that the filters had Asbestos in them and they were probably trying to get rid of them by dumping them on the military.

I gave most of them away and stuck to the expensive varieties. There was always someone mooching a smoke. I saved the Kents for them.

Back in 1957, when I was in fourth grade, I spent every Wednesday afternoon at a clinic. They were testing for allergies, and when they got done sticking me we'd go into the doctor's office to learn the results of the previous week's test. The doctor had a huge overflowing ashtray on his desk, and he and Mom added to it during the visit. By the time I reached the ripe old age of 12 I was a daily smoker, and that continued until 2001.

Eighteen months ago I was diagnosed with lung cancer and had a portion of my right lung removed.

Only the best for our GI's.