Program objective

The Office on Smoking and Health and Division of Cancer Prevention and Control seek to build on the progress of the previously funded networks and expand work to address tobacco-and cancer- related health disparities among populations particularly vulnerable to tobacco industry marketing tactics and with higher cancer incidence and death rates. To accelerate the decline in cigarette smoking, address other tobacco use, and reduce the burden of cancer disease and death among the entire population, it will be critical to continue to focus prevention and control efforts on those populations that are most vulnerable and harder to reach with general population interventions. The complex interaction of multiple factors (e.g. socioeconomic status, cultural characteristics, acculturation, inequitable policy implementation and enforcement, stress) and persistent and targeted tobacco industry marketing to these vulnerable populations, contribute to tobacco related disparities. Many factors also contribute to cancer-related disparities such as socioeconomic status, cultural characteristics, diet, and access to healthcare services. Continued efforts to address the unique need for population-specific capacity and infrastructure to support tobacco and cancer control strategies and promote access to tobacco cessation services, cancer prevention, and treatment and survivor resources for populations experiencing disparities are justified. This tailored strategy is designed to achieve the benefits of an overall population-based policy approach to commercial tobacco and cancer control.