Why have we been more successful in reducing tobacco use than violent crime?

Tobacco control efforts have been associated with a significant reduction i n the prevalence of tobacco use in the United States. Efforts to reduce the incidence of violent crime have been much less successful. This paper argu es that progress on tobacco control stems from the existence of a clear, em pirically based, and widely understood analysis of the tobacco problem that articulates (a) the harms associated with its use, (b) the causes of tobac co use, and (c) the programs and policies that could reduce tobacco use. Th is analysis has guided the development of a network of social organizations that have been advocating for policies and programs that are reducing toba cco use. In contrast, there is not a widely shared, cogent, and empirically based analysis of the problem of violent crime. As a result, efforts to co mbat violent crime are fragmented and it has proven difficult to generate s upport for preventive programs and policies. Substantial empirical progress has been made, however; on how violent crime could be prevented. That evid ence is reviewed. It is argued that the articulation of this evidence is a critical first step for achieving widespread reduction in the incidence of violent crime. Communication of that evidence to audiences that matter will require that behavioral scientists become better organized to advocate for the adoption of empirically supported practices.