It wasn't science but the Tobacco industry's own snake oil approach as they leveraged doctors authority in society for their own gain. We know the earth is not flat because of science, not in spite of it. It was the establishment (including powerful people that felt they had something to lose) that didn't want to hear the earth was round by the scientist that had devoted much of his life studying it. We still see this today in science, people put their beliefs and feelings over those who have devoted decades of their life to studying one particular thing.

We all feel special but we all need to ask ourselves, am I really skilled in this area? Do I really have knowledge and practice in this to have any claim to authority? Humanity is based around specialization but since the Age of Information has begun people have the altered concept, that they now know better without the devotion of time and practice.