What year did Jehovah's Witnesses stop smoking?

Answer 1

Right from our early modern-day beginnings, In Zion'sWatch Tower (predecessor of The Watchtower) of August 1, 1895, Charles Taze Russell directed attention to 1 Corinthians 10:31 and 2 Corinthians 7:1 and wrote: "I cannot see how it would be to God's glory, or to his own profit, for any Christian to use tobacco in any form."

Thereafter, most people who wish to become Jehovah's Witnesses stopped smoking before they were baptized.

Since 1973 it has been clearly understood that no tobacco user can be one of Jehovah's Witnesses; so we no longer baptized them. Any who were already JWs and were still smoking were given 6 months to stop; or they would be disfellowshipped from our Christian brotherhood. Most stopped. Some were disfellowshipped, but later were able to comply, and were reinstated back into our brotherhood.

Jehovah's Witnesses are very serious about living by the righteous moral standards of Jehovah God, the Almighty. We help people where we can; but we must keep our congregations clean from the defilements of the rest of this world. This allows us to have a good relationship with Jehovah God, who can grant everlasting blessings to those who do what God requires of them.

Answer 2

Since 1973 Jehovah's Witnesses have considered that smoking was no longer acceptable in the congregation. They began programs that helped many to quit smoking.

The basis for this approach was 2 Corinthians 7:1.

(2 Corinthians 7:1) Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

For more information, read the June 1, 2014 Watchtower article "What Is God's View of Smoking?" which can be found on the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses.