Vintage Coffin Nail Ads

In the forties and fifties, not only was smoking not bad for you, heck - it was downright cool and good for you. Why else would Old St. Nick himself (shown above, endoring the delicious, soothing flavor of Chesterfields) be hawking them? Not to mention the obvious appeal of such gushing copy as this, regarding Kent brand smokes:

"Now, more than ever, you want a cigarette that really tastes fresh. Better change to Kent. It's the only cigarette with the Micronite filter... the filter that gives you high filtration to help you keep your smoking moderate. And besides, the Micronite filter smooths the flavor... If you really like to smoke a lot, why not make the change to Kent, today? And why not start with a carton?"

These old-school cigarettes sound great, how come nowadays they have all that awful "stuff" in 'em that kills you? Just another sign of how good, old-fashioned craftsmanship and value has gone out of style, I guess.