Historical
Fact
Sheet
Cigarettes
were
first
introduced
in
the
United
States
in
the
early
19th
century.
Before
this,
tobacco
was
used
primarily
in
pipes
and
cigars,
by
chewing,
and
in
snuff.1
By
the
time
of
the
Civil
War,
cigarette
use
had
become
more
popular.
Federal
tax
was
first
imposed
on
cigarettes
in
1864.
Shortly
afterwards,
the
development
of
the
cigarette
manufacturing
industry
led
to
their
quickly
becoming
a
major
U.S.
tobacco
product.1
At
the
same
time,
the
populist
health
reform
movement
led
to
early
anti-smoking
activity.
From
1880-1920,
this
activity
was
largely
motivated
by
moral
and
hygienic
concerns
rather
than
health
issues.1
The
milder
flue-cured
tobacco
blends
used
in
cigarettes
during
the
early
20th
century
made
the
smoke
easier
to
inhale
and
increased
nicotine
absorption
into
the
bloodstream.1
During
World
War
I,
Army
surgeons
praised
cigarettes
for
helping
the
wounded
relax
and
easing
their
pain.1
Smoking
was
first
linked
to
lung
cancer
and
other
diseases
in
the
late
1940s
and
early
1950s.1
In
1956,
a
Surgeon
Generals
scientific
study
group
determined
that
there
was
a
causal
relationship
between
excessive
cigarette
smoking
and
lung
cancer.1
In
England,
the
1962
Royal
College
of
Physicians
report
emphasized
smokings
causative
role
in
lung
cancer.1
On
January
11,
1964,
the
first-ever
Surgeon
Generals
Report
on
Smoking
and
Health
concluded
that
cigarette
smoking
is
a
cause
of
lung
cancer
in
men.2
In
1965
Congress
passed
the
Federal
Cigarette
Labeling
and
Advertising
Act
requiring
health
warnings
on
all
cigarette
packages.3
In
1967
the
Federal
Communications
Commission
ruled
that
the
Fairness
Doctrine
applies
to
cigarette
advertising
and
that
radio
and
television
stations
broadcasting
cigarette
commercials
must
donate
equal
air
time
to
anti-smoking
messages.3
Anti-smoking
messages
had
a
significant
impact
on
cigarette
sales;
however,
when
cigarette
advertising
on
television
and
radio
was
banned
in
1969,
anti-smoking
messages
were
discontinued.1
The
1972
Surgeon
Generals
report
became
the
first
of
a
series
of
science-based
reports
to
identify
environmental
tobacco
smoke
(ETS)
as
a
health
risk
to
nonsmokers.1
In
1973
Arizona
became
the
first
state
to
restrict
smoking
in
a
number
of
public
places
explicitly
because
ETS
exposure
is
a
public
hazard.1
By
the
mid-1970s,
the
federal
government
began
administratively
regulating
smoking
within
government
domains.
In
1975,
the
Army
and
Navy
stopped
including
cigarettes
in
rations
for
service
members.
Smoking
was
restricted
in
all
federal
government
facilities
in
1979
and
was
banned
in
the
White
House
in
1993.1
In
1988
Congress
prohibited
smoking
on
domestic
commercial
airline
flights
scheduled
for
2
hours
or
less.
By
1990,
the
ban
was
extended
to
all
commercial
U.S.
flights.1
In
1992
the
Environmental
Protection
Agency
(EPA)
classified
ETS
as
a
"Group
A"
carcinogen,
the
most
dangerous
class
of
carcinogen.1
In
1994
six
major
U.S.
cigarette
manufacturers
testified
before
Congress
that
nicotine
is
not
addictive
and
that
they
do
not
manipulate
nicotine
in
cigarettes.4
Food
and
Drug
Administration
(FDA)
Commissioner
David
A.
Kessler,
M.D.,
testified
before
a
congressional
subcommittee
in
1994
that
cigarettes
may
qualify
as
drug-delivery
systems,
bringing
them
within
the
jurisdiction
of
the
FDA.
The
following
year,
Dr.
Kessler
declared
tobacco
use
a
"pediatric
disease."
4
In
1994
Mississippi
became
the
first
state
to
sue
the
tobacco
industry
to
recover
Medicaid
costs
for
tobacco-related
illnesses,
settling
its
suit
in
1997.
A
total
of
46
states
eventually
filed
similar
suits.
Three
other
states
settled
individually
with
the
tobacco
industry
Florida
(1997),
Texas
(1998),
and
Minnesota
(1998).1,4
In
1995
the
Department
of
Justice
reached
an
agreement
with
Philip
Morris
to
remove
tobacco
advertisements
from
the
line
of
sight
of
television
cameras
in
sports
stadiums
to
ensure
compliance
with
the
federal
ban
on
tobacco
ads
on
television.4
On
August
23,
1996,
President
Clinton
announced
the
release
of
the
FDAs
rule
regulating
tobacco
sales
and
marketing
aimed
at
minors.4
In
1996
the
Liggett
Group,
the
smallest
of
the
nations
five
major
tobacco
companies,
offered
to
settle
a
class
action
suit
by
taking
financial
responsibility
for
tobacco-related
diseases
and
death
for
the
first
time.4
In
1996
the
FDA
approved
nicotine
gum
and
two
nicotine
patches
for
over-the-counter
sale
to
increase
their
availability
to
smokers
who
want
to
quit.
The
U.S.
Public
Health
Service
released
its
Smoking
Cessation
Clinical
Practice
Guidelines
for
Clinicians.4
On
June
20,
1997,
all
major
U.S.
tobacco
companies
signed
an
agreement
that
would
have
restricted
tobacco
advertising,
put
cigarettes
and
chewing
tobacco
behind
retail
counters,
restricted
smoking
in
public
places,
and
created
a
national
education
campaign.
This
settlement
would
have
required
the
tobacco
industry
to
expend
$360
billion
over
25
years.
The
June
1997
settlement
required
Congressional
approval;
however,
this
was
never
approved.6,7
On
April
1,
1998,
the
Senate
Commerce
Committee
voted
in
favor
of
the
McCain
bill,
which
gave
complete
authority
to
the
FDA
to
regulate
nicotine
as
a
drug.
It
also
raised
the
cigarette
tax
by
$1.10
per
pack
and
mandated
penalties
for
the
industry
if
specific
targets
for
reducing
youth
smoking
levels
were
not
met.
The
bill
was
defeated
by
the
full
Senate
in
June
1998.5
On
November
23,
1998,
the
tobacco
industry
approved
to
a
46-state
Master
Settlement
Agreement,
the
largest
settlement
in
history,
totaling
nearly
$206
billion
to
be
paid
through
the
year
2025.
The
settlement
agreement
contained
a
number
of
important
public
health
provisions.1
In
April
1999,
as
part
of
the
Master
Settlement
Agreement,
the
major
U.S.
tobacco
companies
agreed
to
remove
all
advertising
from
outdoor
and
transit
billboards
across
the
nation.
The
remaining
time
on
at
least
3,000
billboard
leases,
valued
at
$100
million,
was
turned
over
to
the
states
for
posting
anti-tobacco
messages.1
On
March
21,
2000,
the
U.S.
Supreme
Court
narrowly
affirmed
a
1998
decision
of
the
U.S.
Court
of
Appeals
for
the
4th
Circuit
and
ruled
that
the
FDA
lacks
jurisdiction
under
the
Federal
Food,
Drug,
and
Cosmetic
Act
to
regulate
tobacco
products.
As
a
result,
the
FDAs
proposed
rule
to
reduce
access
and
appeal
of
tobacco
products
for
young
people
became
invalid.1
In
July
2000
a
Florida
jury
ordered
the
tobacco
industry
to
pay
$145
billion
in
punitive
damages
to
sick
Florida
smokers.
The
tobacco
industry
is
appealing
verdict.
REFERENCES
- U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services.
Reducing
Tobacco
Use:
A
Report
of
the
Surgeon
General.
Atlanta:
U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
2000.
- U.S.
Department
of
Health,
Education,
and
Welfare.
Smoking
and
Health:
Report
of
the
Advisory
Committee
to
the
Surgeon
to
the
Surgeon
General
of
the
Public
Health
Service.
Washington:
U.S.
Department
of
Health,
Education,
and
Welfare,
Public
Health
Service,
1964.
PHS
Publication
No.
1103.
- U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services.
Reducing
the
Health
Consequences
of
Smoking:
25
Years
of
Progress.
A
Report
of
the
Surgeon
General.
Atlanta:
U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
1989.
U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services,
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention,
Office
on
Smoking
and
Health.
Significant
Developments
Related
to
Smoking
and
Health.
- Campaign
for
Tobacco-Free
Kids.
Special
Reports
Year
in
Review
1998.*
- USA
Today.
Tobacco
Settlement:
Tobacco
chronology.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/smoke/smoke26.htm*
- Campaign
for
Tobacco-Free
Kids.
Special
Reports
Year
in
Review
1997.
- U.S.
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services, HHS
News,
Tobacco
Billboards
Replaced
with
Pro-Health
Messages,
1999.
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