NCI Awards Grants for New State and Community Tobacco Control Initiative

National Cancer Institute
Thursday, 19 October 2000

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded over $13 million in first-year funding for its new antismoking initiative, the Research in State and Community Tobacco Control Interventions. These 12 grants will support research on innovative tobacco prevention and control interventions at the community, state, or multistate level, and emphasize collaboration between tobacco control researchers and state-based tobacco control programs. The funds announced today will be used for the first year of the four-year projects.

In announcing these grants, Richard D. Klausner, M.D., director of the NCI, said "NCI is continuing our commitment to sound scientific research to determine which interventions are most effective in reducing and preventing tobacco use among diverse populations. We know that smoking is still responsible for over one-third of all cancer deaths and that the findings of these research projects will provide important insight into how we can reduce the burden of disease and death from cancer caused by tobacco."

State-wide programs to reduce tobacco use have combined multiple approaches in order to have the greatest impact on smoking rates. These programs emphasize mass media campaigns and policy interventions. Many more states are now planning similar investments in tobacco control programs, or are contemplating how to allocate settlement funds. "This research initiative was established to provide critical information about the separate and combined effects of these interventions. If the interventions are effective, we will add to the evidence-based tools available to state and communities as they embark on new tobacco control efforts," noted Scott J. Leischow, Ph.D., new chief of the Tobacco Control Research Branch.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. Therefore, programs designed to reduce tobacco use among both children and adults are an important aspect of NCI's overall cancer prevention and control efforts. "These grants study the effects of population-based interventions in youth, young adults, and long-term smokers," said Barbara K. Rimer, Dr.P.H., director of NCI's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. "In particular, the grants emphasize communication and policy-oriented studies. This new initiative will ensure that NCI remains at the cutting edge of innovative tobacco control research."

According to Bob Vollinger, program director for State and Community Tobacco Control Interventions Research in NCI's Tobacco Control Research Branch, "We are at a critical juncture in tobacco prevention and control efforts in the United States. Policy-makers will rightly demand that public funds be spent wisely on effective interventions to reduce and prevent tobacco use. Findings from these research grants will be extremely useful in guiding the future of state and community-based tobacco control interventions."

A revised Request for Applications (RFA) for additional State and Community Tobacco Control Interventions Research studies will be issued in October 2000. NCI expects to fund another eight to 10 projects with the next round of funding.

For more information, or to contact National Cancer Institute, see their website at: www.cancer.gov