If anyone knows of any info about when trhe American public became generally aware of cigarettes causing cancer, I'd appreciate a url. I mention this because someone said this was known in the '40s but the companies kept it secret, yet the doctor (who just died) who discovered the link in Britain did so in the 50's, and the US surgeon general announced it in 1964, I believe.
http://www.txtwriter.com/Onscience/Articles/smokingcancer2.html
Hope this helps! It was the first hit I found, but if you want more, let me know and I'll FReepmail you some more, or post them on the thread, either way.
I don't have a URL, but I know that my father (who smoked) called them "coffin nails" and "cancer sticks" as early as the '40s. The warning notes showed up on packs around 1960.
It was never a secret.
If my memory serves, Several of Ernest Hemingway novels mention the fact that it is well known that cigarettes are bad for your health. These novels were written in the 20's and 30's. I don't know the easiest way to search this out. The idea that the tobacco companies kept it a secret is total hogwash. What the tobacco companies did was common practice in all commercial speech. That is you point out the good things about your product and you don't mention any negative aspects of your product. That is just simple marketing savvy. Anyone who claims they were purposely lying just doesn't understand commercial speech.