On May 23, 1984, U.S. Surgeon General reported that there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in non-smokers.

Although the Public Health Service had been calling attention to the danger of tobacco smoking since the 1964 Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health, its anti-tobacco campaign was relatively low-key until invigorated by Koop’s persistent efforts to speak out on the subject.

The 1986 Surgeon General’s report on the dangers of passive smoking was also an important milestone in the fight against smoking.