It's easier to make good policy when it is informed by good science. Often, policymaking is motivated by political reasons or convenience, but does not use the wealth of knowledge available from the scientific community. An obstacle to policymaking, for example, is the fear that the government can inappropriately regulate an individual's behavior. Smoking laws, for example, are met with such resistance. With the advent of an increased knowledge base about Environmental Tobacco Smoke, a door was opened to make new policy because it was recognized that an individual’s smoking harms others.

Three things we can do to affect policy are 1) increase the knowledge base, 2) create a social structure for change, and 3) establish the political will and resources for action. These areas interact with each other in a dynamic way.

Regulatory efforts meeting with success in controlled studies have included: laws to affect advertising, product warning labels, clean indoor air plans, limiting access by minors, litigation, price increases, media based education, multi-component cessation interventions including telephone support, provider reminder systems, and cessation therapy co-payment reductions.

One next step is to move into global policy interventions, since restrictions on tobacco industry profit in the United States has lead to increases in marketing in more vulnerable markets outside this country.

Contact Information:

Scott McIntosh, PhD
Assistant Director, Smoking Research Program Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, and
The James P. Wilmot Cancer Center
University of Rochester
601 Elmwood Ave., MEDBOX 644
Rochester, NY 14642
(716)273-3876 (716)756-7656 (FAX)
scott_mcintosh@urmc.rochester.edu