In this next section I will directly compare a cocaine advert from the 20th century to a cigarette advert from this century:
The picture above is from science news but was originally a 19th century advert for cocaine. Where it was in science news it appeared without any explanation and was there to draw attention to the effect of excessive use of cocaine on the foetus of pregnant women. This advert was originally published in newspapers and handed out as leaflets as well.
The advert comes a time when cocaine was prepared in leaves and was available at all chemists over the counter. It was generally used as analgesic or as a mild anaesthetic in surgery’s for teeth and eyes where compounds of it are still used. The advertised product of cocaine tooth drops were undoubtedly effective and would relieve a toothache, also well worth the fifteen cents you were expected to pay for them in comparison to the high costs of cocaine nowadays which help line the pockets of some of the most evil people.
And as nowadays celebrities partially endorsed cocaine because when sir author Colnon Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes he was increasing the awareness of the public on such matters. Dr. Watson remarks on several occasions that habitual use of cocaine might even be bad for someone’s health.Cocaine is a stimulent like chocolate that provides energy and temporarily replaces food the leaves of the coca plant are chewed (with a little powdered lime) by the natives in Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, giving them remarkable powers of endurance, and the leaves are probably necessary for hard labour at high altitudes in the Andes were work is 10 times as hard at lower altitudes.
Cocaine was also the main ingrediant in the long time wellknown drink Coca-cola that started becoming popular in the early 20th century and were particully popular with temepernce workers as a substitute for beer, wine and spirits that contained the evil alcohol.
In Certain states in America the social reformers did legalise cocaine and similar drugs available only on prescription, to increase the profit of the medical profession. But in the years around 1900 the holy men and "do-gooders,"(mainly housewives with too much time, the same that implemented prohibition), were concentrating their efforts on getting rid of rum and cigarettes. They did succeed in banning alcohol in several of the more rustic states, as they did with banning cigarettes in a few backwards towns.
Also in the early 20th century opium (another of Sherlock’s favourites) was available over the counter in many forms. One of opium’s derivatives laudanum was kept in all households, as aspirins are these days. The most common form of opium, morphine, was also freely available and was recommended by many doctors as a sedative and many Christians recommended morphine as an alternative to alcohol.
When cocaine, laudanum and other narcotics were quite inexpensive and available to all , their was no question of addiction. That is an important fact that you should remember while continuing your reading. It was known at the time though that these drugs were addictive, as it is known nowadays that coffee, tobacco and sugar are all addictive. So their wasn’t a complete ignorence
All forms of addiction are mental as well as physical, and cravings for the sensations produced by the drug is probably more powerful than the strictly physiological reaction of a body used to, to it. Some of the strongest addictions produce no physical symptoms. A recent "survey" states that most people including children spend an average of seven hours a day staring at their TVs or each other, usually in a state of almost hypnotic trance. In its effect on our people, that form of addiction is far more baneful than the total of addiction to cocaine, heroin, marijuana, 'crack,' and other well-known “evil” drugs. So why are alcohol and cigarettes legal? This is because of advertising and the indoctrination, which has been going on for countless years as you can see in the cigarette advert below.
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In conclusion I find it ridiculous the power that advertisers have over us , that when they don’t have a good campaign that makes the public believe something e.g. cocaine as above and cigarettes as above is wrong. They cause the public to worry and through this cocaine was banned and cigarettes are now in the process of rightly being banned. This shows that their should be an outside force which stops advertisers influencing the public to such and extent because it is simply dangerous for us and our society.
