A Brief History of Tobacco in Our Culture
1971 - 5th Surgeon General’s Report; cigarette ads taken off the air, broadcast industry looses c. $220 million
1972 - 6th Surgeon General’s Report; Tobacco ads now required to contain a warning
1977 - 1st American Smoke Out
1980 - Lois Lane lights up; Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Women’s Health
Previous slide | Next slide
| Back to first slide | View graphic version
Notes:
1970 Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act; over a year of wrangling with the Tobacco Industry, broadcasters (who stand to loose millions), FCC, FTC, and Congress. January 2, 1971. Delayed for one day to allow a final glut of Super Bowl ads, the Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969, which included a nationwide ban on tobacco advertising on television and radio, went into effect at midnight. Fairness Doctrine anti-smoking ads also disappear. Cigarette sales begin rebounding from their four year decline. The bill also required an updated warning on cigarette packages: "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health.” The tobacco industry is reputed to have been hard-hit by the counter-ads required by 1967's Fairness Doctrine, which undoubtedly influenced their acceptance of this legislation. Feeling betrayed, advertising, broadcasting and publishing interests fought a losing battle.
Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act later expanded in 1973 to cover little cigars, Today it is still legal to advertise cigars, pipe tobacco, and hard liquor on TV (1995). Tobacco Is Still Advertised on Television, tobacco companies routinely circumvent this restriction by sponsoring sporting events that give them the equivalent of free advertising time.
- In 1994, Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds received nearly $40 million in free television time from their auto racing sponsorships alone.(8)
- An analysis of television coverage of a car race sponsored by Marlboro found that Marlboro's brand name or logo was seen 5,933 times during the broadcast for a total of 46 minutes during the 93 minute program.(9)
Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act amended requiring health warnings on cigarette packages and cigarette advertising