Fashion and cigarettes go way back. Perhaps as an act of defiance or as a sophisticated style statement? Unless you’re wearing a smoking jacket or cigarette pants, smoking is not a chic fashion accessory.
In 1908, New York City passed a municipal law banning women from smoking in public places. Only ladies with loose morals lit up. The mayor vetoed the ordinance two weeks later.
Unsurprisingly, the Women’s Suffrage Movement originated in New York. The smoking ban helped usher in the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote in 1920.
The American Tobacco Company’s Lucky Strike brand launched its first significant cigarette ad targeting women. Why? Cigarettes were suggested as a way to control one’s appetite in the 1920s. Meanwhile, Hollywood studios glamourized smoking cigarettes with women elegantly styled in the movies.
As a child, I remember the Surgeon General’s warning people of the danger associated with cigarette smoking. In 1969, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act was passed in Congress. It banned cigarette advertising on television and radio after September 30, 1970.
Who remembers cigarette vending machines? The ban on smoking on airplanes? The no smoking inside or now outside certain buildings, hospitals, and nonsmoking seating sections in restaurants?
Just four years after the Surgeon General implicated cigarettes in lung and heart disease, tobacco company Phillip Morris launched Virginia Slims. The campaign explicitly marketed to young professional women. Remember the tagline, “You’ve come a long way, baby?” We have come a long way, but there is no need to smoke to prove it.
Risk Factors for Developing Lung Cancer:
♠ Family History
♦ Prior Medical History of Lung Cancer or Disease
♠ Exposure to Asbestos, Smoke, or Radon
♦ Poor Diet
♠ Cigarette Smoking
♦ Exposure to Secondhand Smoke
In this day and age, it’s sad to say that women are the most significant victims of smoking. The latest data reports female smokers are diagnosed with lung cancer more than male smokers. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer and respiratory illnesses such as COPD/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Know the risk factors⇑.
Symptoms
♠ Persistent Cough
◊ Ongoing Chest Pain
♠ Coughing Up Blood
◊ Shortness of Breath
♠ Wheezing
◊ Horseness of the Voice
♠ Difficulty Swallowing
◊ Loss of Appetite
♠ Weight Loss
◊ Fatigue
♠ Recurrent Lung Infections Such as Pneumonia or Bronchitis
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention.
2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the landmark surgeon general’s report that launched the anti-smoking movement. All these years later, and still a surprising number of people smoke. Many regulations have been put in place to discourage smoking.
In 1964, cigarettes ranged from 35 cents to 50 cents a pack. Today, the price in Pennsylvania is $9.50 per pack. New York is the most expensive at $12.60. I tried smoking when in college; the headaches were too severe to continue. Smoking is an addiction that requires a behavioral modification as well as a smoking cessation program to quit successfully.
The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 16—a perfect time to make that commitment to stop with the encouragement of others if you smoke.
The tobacco companies did an excellent job appealing to smoke to control their weight. Hopefully, by now, women will realize that smoking is not a chic fashion accessory.
Thank you for reading. Have a fabulous, stylish, and healthy week.
You look so Fantastic in this outfit and the shooze is TDF. I remember when we got to the club and the Foxy ladies had a cigarette on the fingers back in the 70’s. I never liked smoking and did not care to get my fingers burned either. So it was not my thing then and now. I really dislike sitting beside a chainsmoker and not afraid to ask them to blow it elsewhere. Thanks for this Post my Dear.
Neti,
As you read, I tried smoking in college, thank God I got severed headaches and didn’t continue. I’m so thankful for all the laws and ordinances prohibiting smoking in public places. Thanks for stopping by, so appreciate the visit.