One man, by the name of Edward Bernays, changed all of that. Prior to 1929 it was not considered ladylike for women to smoke cigarettes. But on a spring day in NYC during the Easter Day Parade, that all changed. Working closely with Lucky Strike, Bernays arranged for New York City debutantes to march at the front of the parade. As the parade started he instructed them to light up. Publicity photos of these beautiful fashion models smoking “Torches of Liberty” were sent to various media outlets and appeared worldwide. As a result, the taboo was dissolved and many women were led to associate the act of smoking with female liberation.
And now it is considered absolutely disgusting!