<P> In April 1970 , President Nixon signed into law the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banning the advertising of cigarettes on television and radio starting on 2 January 1971 . The Virginia Slims brand was the last commercial shown , with `` a 60 - second revue from flapper to Female Lib '' , shown at 11 : 59 p.m. on 1 January during a break on The Tonight Show . Smokeless tobacco ads , on the other hand , remained on the air until a ban took effect on 28 August 1986 . Even further restrictions took effect under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act . Effective 22 June 2010 , the new regulations prohibit tobacco companies from sponsoring sports , music , and other cultural events . Also , tobacco companies can no longer display their logos or advertise their products on T - shirts , hats , or other apparel . Eventually , the law is planned to require almost all tobacco advertisements to consist of black text on a white background , but the constitutionality of that requirement has come under scrutiny . </P>
<P> In April 1970 , President Nixon signed into law the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banning the advertising of cigarettes on television and radio starting on 2 January 1971 . The Virginia Slims brand was the last commercial shown , with `` a 60 - second revue from flapper to Female Lib '' , shown at 11 : 59 p.m. on 1 January during a break on The Tonight Show . Smokeless tobacco ads , on the other hand , remained on the air until a ban took effect on 28 August 1986 . Even further restrictions took effect under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act . Effective 22 June 2010 , the new regulations prohibit tobacco companies from sponsoring sports , music , and other cultural events . Also , tobacco companies can no longer display their logos or advertise their products on T - shirts , hats , or other apparel . Eventually , the law is planned to require almost all tobacco advertisements to consist of black text on a white background , but the constitutionality of that requirement has come under scrutiny . </P>
when did they stop showing smoking on tv
when did they stop showing smoking on tv
2 January 1971
2 January 1971