141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

281605
Cigarette endgames: Reality-based approaches that are ready to move forward

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 12:50 PM - 1:10 PM

Mark A. Gottlieb, JD , at Northeastern Univ. School of Law, Public Health Advocacy Institute, Boston, MA
Richard A. Daynard, JD, PhD , Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, MA
Although U.S. smoking prevalence is about half of what it was when the first Surgeon General's Report of Smoking and Health was issued a half century ago, new and bold policies are urgently needed to initiate a true endgame for cigarettes, which are still causing nearly a half million preventable deaths each year.

Polling to date has demonstrated significant support for reducing nicotine in cigarette down to non-addictive levels and even for banning cigarettes altogether. This support has come about despite a lack of any formal advocacy for either policy or any other "endgame" approach to cigarette smoking.

There are 2 “endgame” strategies that are legally feasible and achievable in this decade. One involves federal rulemaking through the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and one involves state and local action to permanently discontinue selling cigarettes to anyone born after December 31, 1999. These cigarette “endgame” initiatives are legally and logically consistent and complementary and could be initiated immediately.

By engaging federal authorities through public comments and state and local authorities through policy advocacy, these 2 endgames can be put into action to dramatically change the tobacco control landscape and provide an example to other nations that endgames around cigarettes are not only possible but are achievable and essential components of public health practice.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Identify policy initiatives capable of dramatically reducing morbidity and mortality caused by cigarettes in the United States. Compare federal from state and local cigarette endgame policy initiatives. Discuss policy implementation challenges.

Keywords: Tobacco Legislation, Tobacco Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been an R01 tobacco PI for the better part of 2 decades and have extensive knowledge of legal and policy approaches to reduce cigarette smoking.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.