A própria história da organização registra que a proibição do tabaco se aplicou primeiro ao pessoal da sede mundial e aos representantes designados a partir de 1935, depois a todos os servos designados a partir de 1942, e somente em 1973 a cada membro batizado.

Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, “Chapter 13: Recognized by Our Conduct”

1993 · p.181 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“As a further forward step in consistent application of that Bible counsel, none who were still smoking were accepted for baptism from 1973 onward. During the following months, those who were actively involved in tobacco production or in promoting the sale of tobacco were helped to realize that they could not continue to do that and be accepted as Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

The organisation’s own history recounts that The Watchtower of 1 March 1935 barred tobacco users from the headquarters staff and from appointed representative work, that the 1 July 1942 issue extended the prohibition to all appointed servants, and that the 1973 change applied it to every baptised member.

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