Tobacco Control and Smoking Cessation

Dear Colleagues, 

Tobacco use continues to challenge healthcare systems, health outcomes, and communities across the globe. Unfortunately, tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of cancer and cancer deaths.

According to the Vital Signs Report, approximately 40% of cancers diagnosed in the U.S. may have a link to tobacco use. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in men and women in the U.S., and cigarette smoking explains between 80 and 90% of lung cancers. In past decades, comprehensive research programs, policies, governmental funding, and the implementation of programs have translated into a significant decline in tobacco use at the population level. Unfortunately, these efforts have not been equally distributed across the population. For racial, ethnic, rural, and low socioeconomic status groups, the burden of tobacco remains stable or unchanged. Smoking rates are alarming among people living with HIV, mental health illnesses, and sexual–gender minority groups. It is imperative to engage communities in research to develop culturally and linguistically sensitive tobacco control and cessation interventions tailored to overcome social determinants of health-underserved and minority groups’ experiences. Increasing the complexity of this field, electronic cigarettes have become the preferred nicotine delivery method for many, especially youth. 

In sum, the implementation and dissemination of tobacco cessation programs have been fraught with multilevel barriers (e.g., patient, clinical, system, and community), contributing to persistent inequities. Healthcare systems have new opportunities to integrate tobacco control and cessation in the routine of care that capitalizes on technology-based solutions, including telemedicine, text messaging, electronic medical records, and multimedia venues. Beyond the primary healthcare context, lung cancer screening and surgical subspecialties’ integration of tobacco control and cessation open new research areas. 

Overcoming the burden of tobacco use among high-risk individuals demands technology-based, community-driven, innovative, affordable, accessible, and culturally appropriate solutions. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard and a practical focus on enhancing tobacco control among underserved and under-represented minorities. 

Disclaimer: We will not accept research funded in part or full by any tobacco companies in this Special Issue. For more details, please check https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2831/htm.

Prof. Dr. Ana Paula Cupertino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• smoking cessation
• tobacco use