Cigarette smoking and its promotion: Editorials are not enough

Abstract

This article was originally published in The New York State Journal of Medicine, Volume 83, Number 13, pp. 1245 – 1247, 1983. It is reprinted here with permission. This article should not be reproduced without permission of the Medical Society of the State of New York. -- INTRODUCTION -- This issue of the Journal marks the 20th anniversary of the first report on smoking and health by the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service. Preparations for the issue began one year ago with a letter to the present Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, MD, requesting an interview on the subject of juvenile-onset cigarette smoking. Dr Koop's encouraging reply inspired other letters to individuals around the world who have been deeply committed to ending the cigarette pandemic.