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Quotes From Experts on Smoking

Tobacco is a substance extracted from the dry leaves of Nicotiana, a native plant of the Americas. Columbus was probably the first European to see the plant in 1492; since then, the habit of smoking quickly became part of Western culture, reports Help With Smoking.
From the beginning of the 20th century, society considered smoking fashionable and a status symbol. In the 1950s, medical researches first alerted the public to the dangers of smoking. By the beginning of the 21st century, most governments had outlawed smoking in public spaces.

  1. Dr. Wilhelm C. Hueper

    • Dr. Wilhelm C. Hueper, the first director of the American National Cancer Institute, was a pioneer in the studies of occupational cancer, publishing the first book on the subject in 1942, reports the National Center for Biotechnology Information. According to the website Today In Science History, Dr. Hueper said in a article published in 1954 by "The New York Times": "If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a minor one."

    Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland

    • Norwegian Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland spent 10 years as a scientist in the public health system of Norway, reports the United Nations News website. Dr. Brundtland, who served as prime minister of Norway, was the director-general of the World Health Organization for five years. According to Random Terrain, she said: "A cigarette is the only consumer product which when used as directed kills its consumer."

    Dr. John Harvey Kellogg

    • Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, founder of the famous cereal brand, was also a physician, reports Bio Channel website. According to The Non Smokers' Movement of Australia, Dr. Kellogg said: "The tobacco business is a conspiracy against womanhood and manhood. It owes its origin to that scoundrel Sir Walter Raleigh, who was likewise the founder of American slavery."

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