Smoking in the mid-20th century was ubiquitous in Australia, as in other Western countries. In 1945, more than three out of every four men and one in every four women were regular smokers.1 Smoking rates fell dramatically over the following two decades as many men died prematurely and others gave up smoking in response to the concerns about health that were starting to be raised by research scientists2–9 and medical authorities.10–15 Working against this trend, however,16 were two major—arguably the two major—social forces of the late 20th century. First was the advent of television in the late 1950s, which brought an avalanche of advertisements for cigarettes into the lounge rooms of Australian families,17 and distracted from concerns about cancer with images of European sophistication, American-style affluence and Australian sunshine and fun that resonated with the optimism and aspirations of a generation wanting to build a new life after two long decades of war and Depression. A new breed of advertising men in the United States, Britain and Australia helped tobacco companies to side-step the health issue with appeals to emotion combined with reassuring, if vague allusions to filters and reductions in 'tar'.18 Next came the social and sexual revolution of the late 1960s and early '70s, which saw a rejection of conservative 'older generation' values such as worrying about financial security and future health, and many young women taking up smoking as a statement of independence and equality.19