As an international medical society dedicated to cancer prevention, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) advocates a fundamental reform of United States and international policy toward addictive tobacco products. ASCO’s goal is the immediate reduction of tobacco use and ultimate achievement of a tobacco-free world.
Although a comprehensive approach to tobacco control will take many years to implement even under the best of circumstances, there are certain measures that could be undertaken immediately with meaningful impact on tobacco usage. These include: - Increasing efforts to discourage tobacco use, particularly among the young
- Raising federal excise taxes by at least $2 per pack and encouraging states to consider tobacco taxes as a first resort in revenue enhancement
- Ensuring that tobacco settlement funds be devoted only to health-related projects, including medical treatment, biomedical research, and tobacco prevention efforts
- Requiring disclosure of all ingredients in tobacco products
- Comprehensively reforming third-party payment for tobacco cessation efforts
- Additional restriction of secondhand smoke in any places where the public may congregate
- Supporting necessary research into tobacco addiction, toxicities, and prevention strategies
- Enhancing global tobacco control, including a halt of United States government promotion of tobacco products
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