Update on … Tobacco Control

Abstract

The first Surgeon General's report on smoking and health was issued on January 11, 1964, by Luther L. Terry, MD, who was Surgeon General of the United States at that time. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this report, Brawley, Glynn, Khuri, Wender, and Seffrin (2014) offered a historical commentary that gave information to healthcare professionals, specifically to those working in the field of oncology. The Surgeon General's report provided the basis for the effects of tobacco use on humans. It concluded that cigarette smoking caused lung and laryngeal cancer, and that additional evidence suggested a possible link to other diseases (e.g., other types of cancer, emphysema, cardiovascular disease). According to Brawley et al. (2014), that report was the most pivotal public health document ever written because it provided a clear example of the power of science to drive public policy.