AUG/SEP 2006
Volume 12 - No. 3
SRNT Newsletter
August/September 2006, Volume 12, Number 3
Updates from the
NIH Nicotine and Tobacco Research Interest Group
This is the first of what we hope will be regular updates from the NIH Tobacco and Nicotine Research Interest Group (TANRIG) on NIH sponsored conferences and reports, program announcements, and other NIH-related efforts of interest to SRNT members. The NIH TANRIG includes representatives from the various institutes who work to coordinate and encourage tobacco and nicotine research within NIH and with other Federal agencies. The NIH TANRIG is co-chaired by Allison Chausmer (NIDA) and Ed Trapido (NCI) who can provide additional information about TANRIG and its institute and agency representatives.
The NIH State-of-the-Science (SOS) Conference on Tobacco Use: Prevention, Cessation, and Control, held June 12-14, 2006, was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) and cosponsored by numerous other NIH institutes, centers, and offices. An independent panel of health professionals and public representatives considered information from several sources including the results of a systematic literature reviews prepared under contract with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), presentations by tobacco prevention, cessation, and control investigators, and questions and statements by conference attendees during a two day public meeting. Following a period of closed deliberations, the panel produced a statement of the state-of-the-science in tobacco use prevention, cessation, and control. The panel statement addressed six questions:
- What are the effective population and community based interventions to prevent tobacco use in adolescents and young adults, including among diverse populations?
- What are the effective strategies for increasing consumer demand for and use of proven, individually-oriented cessation treatments, including among diverse populations?
- What are the effective strategies for increasing the implementation of proven, population-level, tobacco use cessation strategies, particularly by health care systems and communities?
- What are the effects of smokeless tobacco product marketing and use on population harm from tobacco use?
- What is the effectiveness of prevention and cessation interventions in populations with co-occurring morbidities and risk behaviors?
- What research is needed to make the most progress and greatest public health gains nationally and internationally?
The draft conference statement as well as program abstracts, systematic literature reviews, and a webcast of the conference can be found at: http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006TobaccoSOS029html.htm .
June was a busy month for tobacco related reports from the government. In addition to the SOS Tobacco Use Statement, the Department of Health and Human Services released the Surgeon General's report on "The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke". The full report and associated materials can be found at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke .
Are you prepared for electronic submission of grant applications? Researchers who have submitted R03s, R21s, R43s, R44s and other smaller grant mechanisms this year have already transitioned to submitting their grant applications using the electronic submission system. The next major transition occurs with the February 1, 2007 submission deadline when R01s must be submitted via the electronic submission system.If you plan to submit or resubmit an R01 application soon, the October 1 submission deadline (November 1 for resubmissions) is the last opportunity to submit via the traditional paper-based system. If you plan on submitting an R01 for February 1, 2007 or later, then get started early and learn what is required for the new electronic submission system. For more information on the NIH transition to an electronic grant submission and on what you need to do to prepare for this transition, go to: http://era.nih.gov/ElectronicReceipt .
Looking for a website that provides accurate and credible information to help smokers quit? The NCI, partnering with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) provides smoking cessation services and support at www.smokefree.gov. The site offers an online step-by-step cessation guide and listings of local, state, and national quitlines.