World War II

 Soldiers serving overseas were sent free cigarettes along with their food rations. Smoking became entrenched in American society, and from there, cigarette consumption took off. 
Two marines taking a smoke break during World War II
​ (National Archives)
                                      An advertisement for cigarettes
                                              circa 1942 intended
                                          for soldiers (Chesterfield)

The Rise of Cigarettes

  • 19th Century: Lung cancer less than 1% of cancers diagnosed in North America
  • 1900: Tumors were rare
    • Per capita cigarette consumption was 54/year
    • 48% of tobacco consumption was chewing tobacco, 27% cigars, 19% smoking tobacco and 2% cigarettes
  • 1920's: Per capita cigarette consumption grew to 747/year
  • 1940's: Per capita cigarette consumption 1828/year
  • 1952: Lung cancer became the most common cancer diagnosed in American men
    • 81% of tobacco consumption was cigarettes, 10% cigars, 3% chewing tobacco​​
  • ​1960: Per capita cigarette consumption 3908/year
  • 1963: Per capita cigarette consumption reaches peak in US at 4,345, as 70 million American adults smoked
Picture
This graph highlights the spike in cigarette consumption directly after World War II (U.S Department of Agriculture)

The Tobacco Industry

Notable Cigarette Brands During the 20th Century include:
  • ​Marlboro, Chesterfield, Lucky Strike, Kent, Camel, Winston​
Parent companies to these brands include:
  • Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Liggett and Myers
In 1964, about 70 million people in the United States smoked cigarettes, making it an $8 billion/year industry
Picture
(Center for Disease Control)