Media Advisory

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Press Conference Today, 2:00 PM - NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Tobacco Use Prevention, Cessation, and Control

What

An impartial, independent panel charged with reviewing the available scientific evidence on prevention, cessation, and control of tobacco use will hold a press conference to present its findings to the media. The panel was convened as part of a three-day NIH state-of-the-science conference, which began Monday.

No registration is required. Reporters unable to attend may view the press conference webcast live and submit questions at http://videocast.nih.gov.

Additional information about the state-of-the-science conference is available at http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006TobaccoSOS029html.htm.

When

Wednesday, June 14, 2006, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Where: Natcher Conference Center, Main Auditorium
NIH Main Campus, Building 45
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892

Campus visitor information: http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm

Why

Tobacco use remains the nation's leading preventable cause of premature death. Each year, more than 440,000 Americans die from disease caused by tobacco use, accounting for one in every five deaths. Cigarette smoking alone is responsible for more than 30 percent of cancer deaths annually in the United States, and smoking is also an important cause of death from heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Currently, there are an estimated 44.5 million (21 percent) adult smokers and an estimated 3.75 million (22 percent) high school student smokers in the United States. Cigarettes are the predominant form of tobacco consumed; however, other forms of tobacco, such as smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipes, are also used. In addition to the toll on human lives, tobacco use places an enormous economic burden on society. From 1995 to 1999, estimated annual smoking-attributable economic costs in the United States were $75.5 billion for direct medical care for adults and $81.9 billion for lost productivity.

Despite enormous progress in reducing the prevalence of tobacco use in this country, it is unlikely that the "Healthy People 2010" objectives of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less in adults and 16 percent or less in youth will be reached on schedule. A better understanding of how effective strategies for prevention and treatment can be developed and implemented across diverse segments of the population is crucial to accelerate progress; meeting the "Healthy People 2010" prevalence goals would prevent a projected additional 7.1 million premature deaths after 2010. This conference has been planned to facilitate an objective review of the available evidence to clarify what is known and what research gaps remain concerning the conference questions.

Background

The conference is sponsored by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the National Cancer Institute, through the NIH Consensus Development Program. A background document about the conference process is available at http://consensus.nih.gov/forthemedia.htm.

For More Information

To schedule interviews, please contact Kelli Marciel by e-mail at marcielk@od.nih.gov or by phone at (301) 496-4819.

The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout NIH. Additional information is available at http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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