but tobacco science DID know that tobacco was dangerous and caused cancer from the 'early' twentiety century
by the time of ''Climate science is no better than Tobacco Science of the mid to late twentieth century''
the evidence was rock solid ------------ yet industry continued to lie, and people continued to smoke
AND DIE - in MILLIONS
The recognition of the dangers of tobacco smoking evolved over several decades, with significant milestones marking the scientific consensus on its health risks.
### Early Observations
- **Late 1800s to Early 1900s**: Initial observations linking tobacco to health issues began in the late 19th century. Some physicians noted associations between tobacco use and various cancers, particularly mouth cancer from pipe smoking. Dr. Isaac Adler was one of the first to suggest a link between lung cancer and smoking in 1912, but this view was not widely accepted at the time[1][2].
### Growing Evidence
- **1930s to 1950s**: Research into the carcinogenic effects of tobacco intensified. By the 1930s, studies indicated that tobacco smoke could induce cancer in laboratory animals. Notably, Angel Roffo's experiments demonstrated that tobacco tars could cause tumors in animals[4]. Despite this, the tobacco industry actively sought to downplay these findings, often using misleading advertisements featuring physicians to promote cigarettes as safe[7].
- **1950**: Landmark studies by Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill in the UK established a clear link between smoking and lung cancer, based on a case-control study of British physicians. This was a pivotal moment in the scientific community's understanding of smoking's dangers[2][6].
### Official Recognition
- **1964**: The turning point came with the publication of the **U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health** on January 11, 1964. This report concluded that smoking was a significant cause of lung cancer and chronic bronchitis, leading to widespread public awareness and subsequent policy changes, including warning labels on cigarette packages[5][8].
- **Post-1964**: Following the report, public health campaigns intensified, and smoking rates began to decline as more people became aware of the associated health risks. The medical community largely accepted the findings, although some resistance persisted due to the influence of the tobacco industry and nicotine dependence among healthcare professionals[1][3].
In summary, while concerns about tobacco's health effects date back to the late 1800s, it was not until the mid-20th century, particularly following the 1964 Surgeon General's report, that the dangers of smoking were firmly established in the public consciousness and scientific literature.
Citations: [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tobacco [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5342645/ [3] https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/16/6/1070/260310/The-Cigarette-Controversy [4] https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/21/2/87 [5] https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2010/12/10/smoking/ [6] https://www.rgare.com/knowledge-center/article/smoking-a-100-year-story-that-doesn-t-end-here [7] https://www.healio.com/news/hematol...igarettes-were-once-physician-tested-approved [8] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/jun/02/thisweekssciencequestions.cancer
