Chronology

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I - The Nicotine War: a Chronology (From the CDC's "Chronology Significant Developments Related to Smoking and Health, l964-l996" and other sources) By Wanda Hamilton - Publication date: July 13, 2001

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1962 – Pharmacia’s scientists begin researching nicotine replacement therapy.
1971 – Pharmacia develops nicotine gum.
1978 – SmithKline Beecham launches Nicorette gum in Switzerland.
Early 1980s – Jed Rose invents the nicotine patch.
1984 - FDA approves nicotine polacrilex gum as a “new drug” (Nicorette)
1984 - Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health established and empowered by the Comprehensive Tobacco Education Act to coordinate research, special projects, data gathering and education efforts on cigarettes both within the federal government and with private organizations. The committee will work with the Surgeon General’s Office and the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC. S.G chairs the committee.
1988 – Report of the S.G. concentrating exclusively on nicotine addiction.
1990 – S.G. report focuses on the health benefits of smoking cessation
1990 - David Kessler appointed to head FDA.
1991 - RWJF initiates its anti-tobacco grant program.
1991 – FDA approves a nicotine patch as a prescription drug.
1992 – Transdermal nicotine patch introduced.
1993 - FDA prohibits over-the-counter smoking-deterrent products because they have not been shown to be effective
1994 – FDA Commissioner Kessler testifies that cigarettes may qualify as drug delivery systems, bringing them within the jurisdiction of the FDA.
1994 – RWJF and AMA launch the “SmokeLess States” grant program to fund local initiatives for tobacco use prevention.
1995 - RWJF Vice President Nancy Kaufman officially becomes a member of the federal Interagency Committee on Smoking and Health. As of 2000, she is still a member.
1995 - FDA Commissioner Kessler declares tobacco use a “pediatric disease.”
1996 – RWJF grants St. Peter’s Medical Center $27,883 for a meeting “to explore public health implications of alternative nicotine delivery devices.”
1996- RWJF grant to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Inc., Chevy Chase, MD, $197,884 for “Workshop and policy panel on alternative nicotine delivery systems.” (1 year)
1996 – National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids established with primary funding from RWJF.
1996 – RWJF gives the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, $451,185 for “Research on racial and gender differences in teen smoking” (for 1 year).
1996 - February (gum); July (patch). FDA approves nicotine gum and two nicotine patches for over-the-counter sale.
1996 – August , l996, Publication of a final rule on tobacco in the Federal Register to enable the FDA to regulate the sale and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to children and adolescents.
1996 – September. First inhaled dosage form of nicotine, Nicotrol NS, launched.
1997 – FDA relaxes restrictions on TV ads for prescription drugs.
1997 – J. Michael McGinnis, former Dept. of Health and Human Services, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion deputy assistant secretary for health and assistant surgeon general, is hired as a consultant by the RWJF. He is also a consultant to the WHO and the National Academy of Sciences.
1997 – May. FDA approves a prescription-only oral inhalation system (Nicotrol Inhaler) for nicotine replacement therapy.
1997 – David Kessler resigns from FDA.
1997 – U.S. District Court Judge William Osteen, Sr. upholds FDA power to regulate access to tobacco products, but invalidates the proposed advertising restrictions. Both sides appeal.
1998 – July 27. At a conference on nicotine addiction sponsored jointly by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institutes of Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, VP Gore announces the National Cancer Institute’s plans to allocate $38 million for additional research into tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
1998 – August. U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4^th Circuit overturns Osteen’s ruling, saying the FDA lacks authority over tobacco.
1999 – October 18. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announce the jointly funded and jointly created Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers at seven academic institutions.
1999 – FDA approves combined use of bupropion (Zyban) and the patch for treating the symptoms of smoking cessation.
2000 – March. The Supreme Court rules that the FDA lacks the authority to regulate tobacco.
2000 – Surgeon General report on “Reducing Tobacco Use,” which also emphasizes smoking cessation therapy.
2001 – May 29. Jed Rose and Eric Westmann announce they have developed nicotine drops for smoking cessation. Their research was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.