2026/05/20 by Yianni Cartledge, Andrekos Varnava · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Australian History and Society #Historical Psychiatry and Medical Practices #History of Medicine and Tropical Health
paper · doi:10.1017/mdh.2026.10064
openalex publication_date 2026/05/20 · openalex created_date 2026/05/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
Abstract This paper explores and compares smoking advertisements and anti-smoking and anti-cancer messages in Australia’s migrant press, particularly newspapers, from 1930 to 1960. It investigates the ways in which smoking was promoted to migrant communities through their newspapers, contrasts this with the increasing prevalence of anti-smoking and broader anti-cancer messages, and explores whether there were any shifts in advertising and in anti-smoking messages following the growing research linking smoking and cancer (particularly lung cancer) from 1950. These messages were ultimately tied to this growing research, as well as the various Australian state and national anti-cancer campaign committees which emphasised early diagnosis and swift treatment as the best method to combat a range of cancers. Yet the Australian authorities, although finally acknowledging the dangers of cigarette smoking, rejected any government intervention other than providing the medical reports to the public. Greek-language newspapers (notably To Ethnico Vema ) form an important case study; however, other foreign-language and migrant community papers were also consulted, including Italian, Jewish, and French.