History:

• 1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers America and tobacco. They were offered to him by the natives, which were documented in his journal.
  
  
• 1730 – First American tobacco factories are established in Virginia.
  
  
• 1862 – USA: First federal tobacco tax introduced to help finance Civil War.
  
  
• 1902 – Phillip Morris opens up in New York to sell British brands like Marlboro. Marlboro launched with pink filters, originally intended for female smokers.
  
  
• 1940 - Roosevelt makes tobacco a protected crop. Tobacco companies send millions of free cigarettes to soldiers, they are included in the WWII rations.
  
  
• 1953 – Dr. Ernst L Wynder discovers the first biological link between smoking and cancer through experiments with rats.
  
  
• 1964 – First Surgeon General Report on Smoking and Health.
  
  
• 1965 – Cigarette ads banned from TV after considerable debate.
  
  
• 1983 – First evidence discovered of tobacco companies targeting youth. “We were trying very hard to influence kids who were 14 to start smoking.” (Medical Journal of Australia, March 5, 1983).
  
  
• 1987 – Congress bans smoking on domestic flights less than two hours.
  
  
• 1987 – Joe Camel debuts
  
  
• 1991 - Study found that 91% of six year olds could match Joe Camel with cigarettes, making him as recognized by preschoolers as Mickey Mouse. A second study showed that since Joe Camel’s introduction, Camel’s share of the under-18 market rose to 32.8% from .5%.
  
  
• 1992 – Marlboro man dies from lung cancer.
  
  
• 1993 – Vermont becomes the first state to ban indoor smoking.
  
  
• 1994 – USA CEOs of cigarette companies testify before Congress that it is their opinion that nicotine is not addictive.
  
  
• 1995 – Florida sues tobacco companies to recover health care costs. The FDA declares Nicotine a drug.
  
  
• 1997 – Liggett admits smoking cause health problems and they targeted under 18 youth. RJR kills the Joe Camel campaign.
  
  
• 1998 - The Master Settlement Agreement, a $206 billion settlement, was agreed upon between 46 states and 5 territories and the principal US tobacco companies. Additionally, $1.45 billion was given to fund a national anti-tobacco campaign. The companies agreed not to market to youth.