Building the field of tobacco policy research in the US: Progress and implications for future tobacco control

In the early 1990s, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recognized a clear need to dedicate funding for policy research given the potential of such research to inform tobacco control policy and advocacy, and the lack of such funding from major US research agencies. The Tobacco Policy Research and Evaluation Program was launched in 1992, followed by its successor Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP) in 1994. SAPRP's approach to building policy research during the past 17 years has featured financial support for studies, convening/training, and strategic communications, all guided by input from a variety of stakeholders, including policy makers, and media and advocacy groups. Tobacco policy research is now a robust multi-disciplinary field, featuring 172 tobacco policy studies directly supported by SAPRP and hundreds more leveraged as a result, and a strong track record of policy influence. The contribution of SAPRP-supported research to policy will be described in the key areas of taxation and price, clean indoor air policy, advertising and counter-advertising, possession use and purchase laws and sales to minors, and cessation policy. Several SAPRP resources of potential value to tobacco control researchers, policy makers and advocates will be described, including common measures, a roster of researchers working on specific issues for collaborative efforts, and a well developed website. SAPRP's approach has contributed greatly to building the field of tobacco policy research in the US and enhancing its influence on policy, and offers important resources, lessons, and approaches for future tobacco research efforts.