PLAY PODCASTS
Thank You For Not Smoking
Episode 649

Thank You For Not Smoking

<p>The world did NOT wake up to the dangers of smoking on September 25th, 1878, despite the efforts of Dr. Charles R. Drysdale, who had a letter published in The Times warning that smoking is a practice “deleterious to health and vitality,” noting that a contemporaneous experiment on dogs had led to “palsy of the hind leg, blindness, deafness, and death.”</p><p> </p><p>But early anti-smoking campaigners like Drysdale were fighting a losing battle anyway because they were up against a formidable enemy: technology itself, which every day was making cigarettes cheaper and cheaper to mass produce.</p><p> </p><p>In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look into why Nazi Germany was at the forefront of anti-smoking efforts; explain how Hollywood helped make smoking sexy; and reveal why if any of us did smoke, we would definitely choose Marlboro Lights…  </p><p> </p><p><strong>Further Reading:</strong></p><p>• ‘Tobacco and the diseases it produces by Charles R. Drysdale’ (Today in Science History, 2001): <a href="https://todayinsci.com/D/Drysdale_Charles/DrysdaleCharles-TobaccoLetter%281878%29.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://todayinsci.com/D/Drysdale_Charles/DrysdaleCharles-TobaccoLetter%281878%29.htm</a> </p><p>• ‘Sept. 25, 1878: Yes, Smoking Is a Health Hazard’ (Wired, 2008): <a href="https://www.wired.com/2008/09/sept-25-1878-yes-smoking-is-a-health-hazard/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/2008/09/sept-25-1878-yes-smoking-is-a-health-hazard/</a> </p><p>• ‘The UK's first anti-smoking films’ (BFI, 2021): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYSNq3Kf074" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYSNq3Kf074</a> </p><p> </p><p><strong>This episode first premiered in 2022, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content <em>and</em> support our independent podcast. Join now via </strong><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=%2Fphtp%3A%2Fats3.plCo%2FxecXQWW&s=1-saMneAG6Jlxwm-HSpmcJnDbt8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Apple Podcasts</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n&d=4%7Cmail%2F90%2F1676646000%2F1pT2Lf-0009qi-5n%7Cin6f%7C57e1b682%7C10917358%7C13772167%7C63EF986FDB77B8781C00E7AE89BE8ABC&o=%2Fphta%3A%2Fptsootr%2F.cmenerRetspctosro&s=tfEv-TbMNzGzaXbO1_4ITwuG0Jc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Patreon</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Thanks!</p><p> </p><p><strong>We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: </strong><a href="https://www.podfollow.com/retrospectors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>podfollow.com/retrospectors</strong></a></p><p> </p><p><em>The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.</em></p><p><em>Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.</em></p><p><em>Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.</em></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Today In History with The Retrospectors

September 25, 202311m 50s

Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (pdst.fm) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.

Show Notes

The world did NOT wake up to the dangers of smoking on September 25th, 1878, despite the efforts of Dr. Charles R. Drysdale, who had a letter published in The Times warning that smoking is a practice “deleterious to health and vitality,” noting that a contemporaneous experiment on dogs had led to “palsy of the hind leg, blindness, deafness, and death.”

 

But early anti-smoking campaigners like Drysdale were fighting a losing battle anyway because they were up against a formidable enemy: technology itself, which every day was making cigarettes cheaper and cheaper to mass produce.

 

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly look into why Nazi Germany was at the forefront of anti-smoking efforts; explain how Hollywood helped make smoking sexy; and reveal why if any of us did smoke, we would definitely choose Marlboro Lights…  

 

Further Reading:

• ‘Tobacco and the diseases it produces by Charles R. Drysdale’ (Today in Science History, 2001): https://todayinsci.com/D/Drysdale_Charles/DrysdaleCharles-TobaccoLetter%281878%29.htm 

• ‘Sept. 25, 1878: Yes, Smoking Is a Health Hazard’ (Wired, 2008): https://www.wired.com/2008/09/sept-25-1878-yes-smoking-is-a-health-hazard/ 

• ‘The UK's first anti-smoking films’ (BFI, 2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYSNq3Kf074 

 

This episode first premiered in 2022, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or PatreonThanks!

 

We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/retrospectors

 

The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices