Building Research Capacity in Global Tobacco Product Regulation Program

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Abstract Building Research Capacity in Global Tobacco Product Regulation Program (U18) Tobacco kills over 8 million people globally every year and eventually kills half of its users, the majority of whom are recruited as children. 480,000 of those deaths are attributable to cigarette smoking in the United States, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from second-hand smoke exposure. The devastating effects of tobacco products also affects generations due to the debilitating diseases associated with tobacco use including cancer, heart, and respiratory illnesses. Further, the negative consequences of tobacco use are compounded by the strategies employed by tobacco and related manufacturers, who carefully engineer their products to sustain use. In recent times, the introduction of electronic cigarettes to many markets globally has further complicated tobacco control. The paucity of reliable data on these products to support policy making is also a challenge. Therefore, regulating the manufacture, labelling, sale, distribution, advertising and promotion of nicotine and tobacco products has proven particularly challenging in many contexts, even for countries that have strong regulatory measures in place to address these products, such as the United States with the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), (P.L. 111-31). Through this project, WHO will use its unique history, position, networks and contacts in international tobacco control and tobacco product regulation to support the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA) in reducing tobacco use, harm, and addiction. WHO's experience in this area, includes managing the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation, the WHO Tobacco Laboratory Network, its Collaborating Centres, and the Global Tobacco Regulators Forum (GTRF). Further, its track record of managing and coordinating the “Building Research Capacity in Global Tobacco Product Regulation Program” since 2015, will ensure that the requirements of the program are met. Building on lessons learned and WHO's extensive networks, this proposal sets out several science-based activities over the next five years to advance and strengthen research to support tobacco product regulation. These include development and coordination of multilateral research efforts in science, law, policy, and public health communications. The project will also expand data collection and information sharing mechanisms, management and reporting protocol. Carefully designed reporting mechanisms will ensure that WHO monitors, evaluates program activities, tracks progress, and timely disseminates outcomes. As the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) continues to exercise its mandate to place restrictions on the sale and distribution of tobacco products, implement tobacco product standards, review applications for new tobacco products, and consider applications for modified risk products, the information from this project, including from countries, will enable the US to consider global regulatory and marketing trends on nicotine and tobacco products. Further, the project will advance global knowledge on product regulation thereby supporting effective regulation of nicotine and tobacco products in WHO Member States.