The Comprehensive Smoking Education Act of 1984 (also known as the Rotational Warning Act) is an act of the Congress of the United States. A national program established in order to improve the availability of information on health risks related to smoking, to amend the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act

Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act

The Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act is a comprehensive act designed to provide a set of national standards for cigarette packaging. It came in conflict with California Proposition 65. A year after it was passed, 13% less Americans died of lung cancer....

 so that cigarette warning labels would be different, and for other reasons, the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act was enacted with a purpose to, as stated in Section 1 of the Act, "provide a new strategy for making Americans more aware of any adverse health effects of smoking, to assure the timely and widespread dissemination of research findings and to enable individuals to make informed decisions about smoking". Adopted by Congress in 1984 and effective October 12, 1985, the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act created a rotational warning system that required all cigarette packages and advertisements to rotate the following four warnings every three months:

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking by Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, and Low Birth Weight.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.

Brief Overview of Cigarette Warning Labels

Though there were a few restrictions during the 17th century, significant anti-smoking legislation was not enforced until later in the 19th century. According to the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health published in 1964, the Surgeon General

Surgeon General

Surgeon General may refer to:* Surgeon-General * Surgeon General of the United States* State Surgeon General* Surgeon General of the United States Army* Surgeon General of the United States Navy...

 reported not only that the nicotine and tar in cigarettes caused lung cancer, but also that smoking was the most important cause of chronic bronchitis, increased risk of dying from chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and caused coronary disease. As a result, Congress enacted the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act

Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act

The Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act is a comprehensive act designed to provide a set of national standards for cigarette packaging. It came in conflict with California Proposition 65. A year after it was passed, 13% less Americans died of lung cancer....

 in 1965, which created the first cigarette warning label in the United States by requiring health warnings on all cigarette packages saying "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." A few years later, Congress passed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act

Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act

The Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act is a United States federal law, passed in 1970, designed to limit the practice of smoking. It required a stronger health warning on cigarette packages, saying "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health"...

 of 1969, which banned cigarette advertising on television and radio as well as slightly changed the health warning to "Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health." However, in a 1981 report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission

Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...

 concluded that the health warning labels were not effective enough on public knowledge and peoples' attitudes towards smoking. This led to the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act of 1984.

Regulations of Comprehensive Smoking Education Act

As shown in Sections 3, 4, and 7 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act, the Act addresses and affects smoking research, education, and information, cigarette labels, and the ingredients added to tobacco in cigarettes.

Section 3 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act covers the subject of smoking research

James A. Schoenberger

James A. Schoenberger, MD was a Chicago cardiologist and medical research scientist who participated in early epidemiological studies and clinical trials that provided evidence linking smoking and other risk factors to cardiovascular diseases....

, education, and information, stating that the Secretary of Health and Human Services must establish and carry out a program that will inform the public of any human health risks caused by cigarette smoking. In order to do so, the Secretary must perform tasks such as conducting and supporting research on human health risks from cigarette smoking, informing the public of the effects of smoking, coordinating anything related to the effects of cigarette smoking on human health within the Department of Health and Human Services, serving as a liaison with agencies in regards to activities related to health risks from smoking, developing improved information programs related to smoking and health, compiling and disseminating information on legislation related to cigarette use, and undertaking any other additional information or action that may seem appropriate in furthering the program. There is an Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health, composed of members appointed by the Secretary, that helps the Secretary fulfill some of the responsibilities, and the Secretary must publish a biennial report to Congress.

Section 4 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act discusses cigarette warning labels, stating that any person manufacturing, packing, or importing the sale or distribution of cigarette packages within the United States must have one of the four labels mentioned above. Any manufacturer or importer of cigarettes advertising cigarettes in the United States through the use of any medium besides outdoor billboards must also make sure that the advertisement contains one of the four previously listed labels, and those advertising cigarettes in the United States through the use of outdoor billboards must have one of the following labels on the advertisement:

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, And Emphysema.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Health Risks.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Pregnant Women Who Smoke Risk Fetal Injury and Premature Birth.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

Section 4 continues to elaborate on the visual requirements of the warning labels, listing the regulations on the size, wording, and implementation of the warning labels. For example, Section 4(b)(1) states "The phrase "Surgeon General's Warning' shall appear in capital letters and the size of all other letters in the label shall be the same as the size of such letters as of such date of enactment. All the letters in the label shall appear in conspicuous and legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color with all tore printed material on the package."

In addition, as stated in Section 7 of the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act, the cigarette industry must provide the Secretary an annual list of the ingredients added to cigarettes manufactured in, packaged in, or imported into the United States. The list is confidential, and with the help of an authorized agent who serves as a custodian of such information, it is the Secretary's responsibility make sure such information remains confidential.

History Of Tobacco

The history of tobacco dated back to the 600 to 900 A.D. from the carving of the Mayans. They were growing them before the Europeans arrived to North America. They were primarily used for religious and medical purposes before 1612 and that is the year it became North America cash crop. It was their main source of income and help fought the American Revolutionary War against England. It was not until 1881 when James Bonsack produced the cigarette making machine that the smoking pandemic begins. (9)

The Economy of Cigarette

The beginning of the Cigarette industry by James Bonsack Company were producing 10 million cigarettes in their first year and had an exponential increased to 1 billion 5 years later. The number reached 300 billion by the year 1944 and created a multimillion dollar business in the United States. The tobacco industry has announced a 5.65 billion dollar surplus in 1992 and one company alone pay 4.5 million dollar in taxes that year. These tobacco companies clearly generated a lot of revenues for the United States.(9)

External links

Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "Smoking and Tobacco Use: Highlights: Warning Labels." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/2000/highlights/labels/

Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "Smoking and Tobacco Use: Legislation: Selected Actions of the U.S. Government Regarding the Regulation of Tobacco Sales, Marketing, and Use (excluding laws pertaining to agriculture or excise tax)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/by_topic/policy/legislation/