THE UNITED-STATES NATIONAL-CANCER-INSTITUTE AND THE SCIENCE OF TOBACCO CONTROL RESEARCH

U.S. efforts to control tobacco use and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality have been reasonably successful over the past 3 decades, dur ing which there has been a 34% reduction in adult smoking. Nevertheles s, 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 i nvolved in tobacco-use control activities, the most broadly focused of which is that of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI's progr am is described and its emphasis on a data-based decision matrix in it s approach to tobacco and cancer control research and applications of research is discussed. Finally, future approaches to tobacco-use contr ol in the U.S. are suggested.