Quit Smoking! SURGEON GENERALS WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. Cigarette smoking has been proven to be hazardous to your health. It wasn’t until 1964 that the actual truth came out about cigarette use. From the years 1952-1956 Kent brand cigarettes was allowed to use a filter containing asbestos. Cigarette ads were allowed on television up until the year 1971, and it wasn’t until 1979 that it was discovered that women smokers could cause major damage to the fetus if they are pregnant. In 1964, the annual Surgeon General’s Report On Smoking And Health reported an overwhelming associa