May 1984
The American Association for Cancer Research accepts the evidence gathered by cancer scientists as establishing that cigarette smoking is the major preventable cause of human lung cancer. We therefore go on record as advocating that the greatest cancer prevention measure that might be undertaken would be for people not to smoke. As interim steps toward this goal, we recommend the following actions be taken by government and members of our society to reduce cigarette smoking:
- Take legislative action to reduce “image advertising” and other types of promotional efforts designed to attract people to the practice of cigarette smoking.
- Enact legislation designed to reduce the availability of cigarettes for children and young adults, particularly in school, military, and hospital settings. One measure would be the tax-free status on cigarette sales in government installations.
- Enact and enforce legislation that restricts smoking in public places.
- Increase taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products and use the proceeds for research, education, and treatment of the resulting diseases.
- Eliminate federal support for the production and distribution of tobacco products.
- Increase the effectiveness of warning labels on tobacco products.
From: Cancer Research, vol. 44: 5940, December 1984