The United States National Cancer Institute and the science of tobacco control research

Abstract

U.S. efforts to control tobacco use and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality have been reasonably successful over the past 3 decades, during which there has been a 34% reduction in adult smoking. Nevertheless, tobacco use remains a significant public health problem in the U.S., with more than 430,000 tobacco-related deaths per year and over one fourth of the population continuing to smoke. Many organizations are involved in tobacco-use control activities, the most broadly focused of which is that of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI's program is described and its emphasis on a data-based decision matrix in its approach to tobacco and cancer control research and applications of research is discussed. Finally, future approaches to tobacco-use control in the U.S. are suggested.