Where we stand: Tobacco and the cancer moonshot

Truth Initiative and The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco are urging the National Cancer Moonshot Task Force to take immediate action to emphasize tobacco control in the initiative.

“While accelerating research into treatment and therapy is important, there is no more affordable, well understood, and effective option for reducing the incidence of cancer and the suffering it causes than investment in tobacco control,” the organizations said in a letter submitted to the task force, convened by Vice President Joe Biden.

Research has long shown the connection between cancer and cigarette smoking: tobacco use can be linked to at least 12 different types of cancer, and, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, one-third of cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Nearly 480,000 premature deaths each year, including 170,000 from cancer, and $170 billion in health care costs could be saved by increased focus on tobacco prevention and cessation.

“The best investment we can make in the health and well-being of the American people is to take the necessary steps to prevent cancer from occurring in the first place,” the organizations said.