50th Anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health

January 11, 2014 marked 50 years since U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry released the landmark report that concluded smoking causes cancer. Since the report was released in 1964, the United States has seen a number of tobacco control campaigns and litigation in an attempt to improve public health. Here are some of the highlights, taken from JAMA’s interactive timeline of  Tobacco-Related Events, United States, 1900-2014.  In 1965 the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act is passed and US Congress requires health warnings on cigarette packages. In 1966 warning labels reading “Caution—Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health.” begin to appear on cigarette packaging. 1967 marks the first World Conference on Smoking and Health in New York. 1969/1970 Congress passes the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969 which requires a stronger warning label on packaging. The act also bans cigarette advertising on television and radio. January 2, 1971 sees the television and radio advertisement ban go into effect. In 1975 Minnesota becomes the first state to enact the Clean Indoor Air Act, which ”requires separate smoking and nonsmoking areas in public settings”. 1983 marks the beginning of workplace smoking restrictions. In 1984 the Food and Drug Administration approves “nicotine gum as a pharmacologic aid for smoking cessation”. In 1988 California voters approve Propsition 99, “ increasing the cigarette tax fr...
Source: Network News - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: General (all entries) Public Health Source Type: news