On this day in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed legislation banning cigarette ads from airing on television and radio.
Beginning in 1967, a provision of the Fairness Doctrine required that all TV stations broadcast one anti-smoking public service announcement for every three cigarette ads they aired. These antismoking announcements proved effective, as the number of U.S. smokers began to decline sharply.
In 1969, bills began to circulate on Capitol Hill banning all cigarette advertising on TV and radio. In that year, tobacco firms were the single-largest product advertisers on television. Initially, the powerful tobacco lobby, buoyed by legislators from tobacco-growing areas, succeeded in blocking congressional action.
However, Big Tobacco soon recognized that the on-air ban would free funds for advertising in other media. It would also do away with the antismoking PSAs. Seeing that the tide of public opinion had turned against it, the tobacco lobby finally yielded.
Under pressure from public health advocates, Nixon, an eight-bowl-a-day pipe smoker, reluctantly went along.
The ban took effect at midnight on Jan. 2, 1971. That gave cigarette companies a final chance to advertise on TV during the New Year’s Day college bowl games. The last televised cigarette ad ran at 11:50 p.m. during “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.”
Excise taxes began to be imposed on tobacco products during the presidency of George Washington and continue to this day.