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The strategic dialogue on tobacco harm reduction: A vision and blueprint for action in the United States

Mitch Zeller¹, Dorothy Hatsukami², Cathy Backinger³, Neal Benowitz⁴, Lois Biener⁵, David Burns⁶, Pamela Clark⁷, Greg Connolly⁸, Mirjana V. Djordjevic³, Thomas Eissenberg⁹, Gary A. Giovino¹⁰, Cheryl Healton¹¹, Stephen S. Hecht², Jack E Henningfield¹, Corrine Husten¹², Kimberly Kobus¹³, Scott Leischow¹⁴, David T. Levy¹⁵, Stephen Marcus¹⁶, Matthew L. Myers¹⁷, Mark Parascandola¹⁸, Prabhu Ponkshe¹⁹, Peter G. Shields²⁰, Paul Slovic²¹, David Sweanor²², Kenneth E. Warner²³

¹ Pinney Associates, United States;
² University of Minnesota, United States;
³ National Cancer Institute, United States;
⁴ University of California, San Francisco, United States;
⁵ University of Massachusetts Boston, United States;
⁶ University of California, San Diego, United States;
⁷ Battelle Center for Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States;
⁸ Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States;
⁹ Virginia Commonwealth University, United States;
¹⁰ University at Buffalo; SUNY, United States;
¹¹ American Legacy Foundation, United States;
¹² Partnership for Prevention, Washington, D.C., United States;
¹³ University of Illinois at Chicago, United States;
¹⁴ The University of Arizona, United States;
¹⁵ Pacific Institute, United States;
¹⁶ National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, United States;
¹⁷ Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Washington, DC, United States;
¹⁸ NIH/NCI, United States;
¹⁹ Health Matrix Inc., McLean, VA, United States;
²⁰ Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States;
²¹ Decision Research, Eugene, OR, United States;
²² University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, United States;
²³ University of Michigan, United States

E-mail: mzeller{at}pinneyassociates.com

The issues related to tobacco harm reduction continue to challenge the tobacco control research and policy communities. The potential for combusting tobacco products to reduce exposure and risk remains largely unknown, but this has not stopped manufacturers from offering such products making these claims. The role of oral tobacco products in a harm reduction regimen has also been a source of dialogue and debate. Within the last few years, major cigarette manufacturing companies have begun selling smokeless products for the first time, claiming to target current cigarette smokers. Other cigarette manufacturers are also offering smokeless products in markets around the world. The harm reduction debate has at times been divisive. There has been no unifying set of principles or goals articulated to guide tobacco control efforts. In particular, the research needs are extraordinarily high in order to drive evidence-based policy in this area and avoid the mistakes made with "light" cigarettes. This paper discusses recommendations from a strategic dialogue held with key, mostly U.S.-based tobacco control researchers and policy makers to develop a strategic vision and blueprint for research, policy, and communications to reduce the harm from tobacco for the U.S. Short- and long-term objectives are described.

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