Tobacco Regulations Center Receives $20 Million for Tobacco Use Research

Posted in News Release  |  Tagged cancer, CAsToR, smoking, smoking trends, tobacco control

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (November 1, 2023) — The Center for the Assessment of Tobacco Regulations (CAsToR) — a collaboration among Georgetown University, the University of Michigan, and the British Columbia (BC) Cancer Research Institute — recently received $20 million in funding to continue its research on the impact of tobacco regulations on tobacco use patterns and their downstream health effects.

CAsToR, established in 2018 and housed within the University of Michigan School of Public Health, is one of seven centers to receive funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health as part of the third cohort of Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science (TCORS 3.0). The funding extends the center’s research for an additional five years.

The principal investigators of CAsToR — David Levy, PhD, professor of oncology at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; David Mendez, PhD, professor of health management and policy at Michigan Public Health; and Rafael Meza, PhD, distinguished scientist at the BC Cancer Research Institute and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia and Michigan Public Health — lead the multidisciplinary team focused on providing evidence-based, expert-informed modeling for the evaluation of the behavioral and public health impacts of FDA tobacco rules or other regulatory actions.

“Smoking impacts nearly every organ system of the body and causes 30% of cancer deaths in the U.S.,” Levy said. “Leveraging evidence-based approaches to reduce or prevent tobacco use remains a critical public health goal and requires large, multidisciplinary efforts.”

For TCORS 3.0, CAsToR has designed four projects based on detailed analyses of current and historical tobacco use patterns in the U.S. for both the general population and key subgroups. This research offers not just an insight into the potential future impacts of regulatory action, but also a comprehensive understanding of the factors motivating shifts in tobacco use across the country and the globe.

“The extended funding will allow us to analyze how policies are likely to influence smoking habits among different populations and help to determine the best interventions to improve health outcomes,” said Mendez.

Meza agreed: “We are thrilled to continue CAsToR’s work assessing the impact of tobacco use and regulations, as well as continuing our efforts to train a new generation of tobacco regulatory scientists and modelers. To date, our center has made important contributions to the development of U.S. tobacco regulations — such as the forthcoming cigarette menthol ban — and we look forward to continuing our work to further reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.”

News release courtesy of University of Michigan School of Public Health