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34 sats \ 2 replies \ @Bell_curve 3 Feb \ on: Is sugar the new smoking? HealthAndFitness
Sugar is terrible but nowhere near as bad as smoking.
For the record, smokers knew the risks of smoking. The class action lawsuits versus tobacco companies were based on greed not morality or tort justice.
What year do you think that smokers really KNEW that smoking was so unhealthy? They were still able to run ads like "9 out of 10 doctors smoke camels" until 1952.
(AI note: The "More Doctors Smoke Camels" advertising campaign was run by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company from 1946 to 1952. The exact slogan was "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.")
I'm not denying the greed thing. But I wonder when specifically it penetrated public consciousness that smoking wasn't just a LITTLE bit bad, but instead extremely unhealthy.
That's where I think sugar is right now. People think, "Oh, it's a little bit of a guilty pleasure, sure it's not great but it's not THAT bad".
But the problem of course, is that people are usually not able to moderate because it's addictive. Just as with cigarettes.
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By 1960 the evidence was strong that smoking was terrible for your health
By 1998 smoking in bars became illegal.
Despite the health warnings you should not sue tobacco or sugar companies for your health ailments. No one forced you to smoke or eat sugar
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