TOBACCO HAS BEEN around since before the United States was even a small group of colonies, but the negative health effects of tobacco remained unknown until the early 20th century. Then, articles about the detrimental health effects of smoking appeared in medical and scientific journals. A statistical correlation between smoking and cancer had been demonstrated; but no causal relationship was demonstrated until 1952 and the public remained unaware of the growing body of evidence.

Reader's Digest published “Cancer by the Carton,” in 1952, the first popular article dealing with the detrimental effects of smoking. The article's appearance resulted in similar reports being published in other publications In 1953, cigarette sales decreased for the first time in more than 20 years. The tobacco industry responded in 1954 ...