July 16, 2024
In the mid-1960s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that national tobacco use exceeded 42 percent.
At the time, the American tobacco industry was huge, employing thousands of people in agriculture, manufacturing, distribution and sales. The epicenters of the industry were located in North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.
A BRIEF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY
During World War II, land and naval servicemen were given small packets of cigarettes and Zippo lighters free of charge.
On January 11, 1964, Luther L. Terry, M. D. , Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, issued the first of the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health.
Based on more than 7,000 articles related to smoking and diseases that already existed at that time in the biomedical literature, the Advisory Committee concluded that smoking is:
∫ A for lung cancer and laryngeal cancer in humans
∫ A probable lung cancer in women.
∫ The main cause of chronic bronchitis
In 1966, American cigarette packages began to include a consumer caution and fitness label on the side of the package.
According to the 24/7wallst. com study, in the early 70s you could buy a pack of 20 cigarettes for 47 cents. Adjusted to the current dollar, the package would cost $2. 47.
Today, nationwide, a pack of cigarettes, adding taxes, peaks in the states of Hawaii and New York, above $10, and an average of $6 to $7 elsewhere.
In 2005, the CDC found that national tobacco use among people 18 and older was 20. 9%. Currently, the CDC reports that figure is now 11. 5%.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, smoking and tobacco use increased.
WHAT FOLLOWED CIGARETTE SALES
When cigarette sales were at their “peak,” there were many similar industries, product sales, and social norms.
Smokers can consume their products in almost any public space, such as classrooms, theaters, restaurants, planes, buses, and cars.
If you rented a vehicle, you can only smoke in it.
Restaurants, bowling alleys, and public places featured cigarette vending machines where you simply swiped two quarters to buy your favorite brand, with or without a filter.
When entering or leaving many establishments, you may come across a loose e-book with matches or a box that displays its advertising information.
Ashtrays abounded in homes, restaurants, offices, and even doctors’ offices. In addition, ashtrays with a plug-in lighter were discovered in the front and rear passenger spaces of the vehicles.
Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and public transportation featured extensive cigarette advertising. In fact, at Christmas, you would see Santa Claus encouraging you to give a box of ten packs of cigarettes wrapped in a bow.
Many cigarette commercials featured doctors and actors such as Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Ronald Reagan.
Smokers were presented with small leather or jewelry sleeves for their cigarettes.
For all smokers there is a wide variety of lighters that can be simply filled with liquid or be completely disposable.
The customer dental industry has been selling toothpaste to brighten your yellowed teeth, while mints and liquids would freshen your breath.
With this decline in sales in the United States, tobacco and similar industries have turned to the lucrative markets of China, India, Brazil and Indonesia.
The Marlboro guy and his horse set off into the sunset in the United States just 50 years ago.
Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired CEO of the healthcare industry. He writes old reports and op-eds for various Michigan newspapers. As a veteran of the Viet Nam era, he served in the U. S. Navy. and in the U. S. Naval Reserve. He grew up in Alpena and lives in suburban Detroit.
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