S.O.S.
Stamp Out Smoking

1977

In 1977, the First Great American Smokeout was held. This "STAMP OUT SMOKING" label shows an image of a skull atop an open pack of unfiltered cigarettes, and a cigarette burning in an ashtray. It is dated 1977 in the sheet border, "to be used on letters and packages." According to John B. Denune, it was used by the The Ohio Lung Association in 1979 (cover below), and may have been produced by them. It is found in gummed sheets of 25, imperforate, printed in black on six different colored papers, white, tan, green, yellow, pink and ivory. The printed image (border) is 7/8" × 1 1/8" (22.5mm×28mm).

Here is the issue in all six colors, tied to a 1979 cover
with the U.S. American Lung Association stamp of 1979:

The size of the sheet of 25 is appx. 6" × 7". The center stamp is inverted. The inscriptions in the selvage are, beginning at the top left, and moving clockwise:

S.O.S. - STAMP OUT SMOKING - S.O.S. USE THESE STAMPS ON YOUR LETTERS AND PACKAGES S.O.S. - STAMP OUT SMOKING - S.O.S. 1977 THESE STAMPS HAVE NO POSTAL VALIDITY USE THESE STAMPS ON YOUR LETTERS AND PACKAGES 1977 PLATE NO. 1 S.O.S. STAMP OUT SMOKING - S.O.S. 1977 THESE STAMPS HAVE NO POSTAL VALIDITY

Another style of printing exists. These are ungummed, rouletted sheetlets of four, with right and bottom borders larger than those between the images, unlike the sheets of 25. Otherwise the printing is just like the upper left block of four of the larger sheets. The paper colors are slightly paler, and include a salmon color.

Know any more about these? Please Let me know.