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Talking Points:

Tobacco research at NCI began in the 1950s when smoking was first linked scientifically (though not yet in the public consciousness) with lung cancer.Although millions of dollars was spent over the following decades investigating the connections between smoking and health, the investment was mainly in basic research, including the etiology of tobacco-induced disease and experimental carcinogenesis.

During the early 1970's, NCI shifted its research focus to investigations of the toxic substances in tobacco and ways to reduce themiv -- i.e., the search for "safer" cigarette. In the late 1970's, NCI shifted again to begin examining behavioral issues underlying why people smoked. Coincident with release of the 1982 Surgeon General's report on cancer,v NCI launched a research agenda to identify individual programs to help smokers to quit, and to help kids not to start.