Tobaccoland

Smoking rates grew throughout the early 1900s, with spikes during both world wars as cigarettes were included in soldiers’ mess kits and care packages. World War I solidified the cigarette’s popular standing -- cigarettes were portable, disposable, quick to smoke, and cheap. Cigarette consumption tripled between 1914 and 1919 as soldiers became increasingly addicted. After a brief drop during the Great Depression, World War II saw a new spike in smoking rates, which was augmented by distribution policies of the U.S. War Production Board. Wartime tobacco advertisements linked cigarettes with sacrifice, patriotism, manliness, and the defense of American values.