In 1965, the U.S. Congress passed the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act. This law required cigarette companies to place the following warning on all cigarette packages:

CAUTION: CIGARETTE SMOKING MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.

The law was passed as a result of the historic 1964 surgeon general’s report that linked smoking to lung cancer and other diseases. This report and the relatively minor warning were the first salvos in the fight between the tobacco industry and advocates of increased government regulation of tobacco.

Those who support government regulation of tobacco argue that the tobacco industry is more concerned about profit than the public’s health. The industry is widely criticized for knowingly producing a harmful product and encouraging its consumption through advertising and promotion. Terry A. Rustin, an assistant professor at the...