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 CDC’s OFFICE ON SMOKING AND HEALTH PARTNERS WITH STATES

TO PROTECT KIDS AND HELP SMOKERS QUIT

CDC’s OFFICE ON SMOKING AND HEALTH (OSH) is the lead federal agency for comprehensive

tobacco prevention and control. OSH saves lives and saves money by preventing and reducing tobacco use – the leading

cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S.

Even if you haven’t heard of OSH, you’ve probably seen or felt the impact of our work:

On TV,

Radio, and

Billboards...

On the

Phone...

In Your

Community...

In Your

Family...

In the

News...

through CDC’s Tips

From Former Smokers®

ad campaign that has

inspired 500,000

Americans to quit

smoking since 2012.

which covers OSH experts’

reports and studies about

tobacco use and

secondhand smoke

exposure.

if you or someone you know

has quit smoking because of

OSH’s work to support and

encourage tobacco

cessation.

if you enjoy smokefree

indoor air protections in

public places that have

been expanded

because of our scientific

research.

through 1­800­QUITNOW, which links callers

to their state quitline and

receives critical support

from OSH.

80%

3

More than 80% of OSH’s budget supports state

and local tobacco control efforts.

1

CDC’s National Tobacco

Control Program (NTCP) is

the only nationwide

investment that supports all

50 states, the District of

Columbia, 8 U.S. territories,

and 12 tribal organizations

for comprehensive

tobacco control efforts and

quitlines.

States use OSH funds to

prevent kids from using

tobacco, reduce

secondhand smoke exposure,

help smokers quit, and reduce

disparities in tobacco use. For

every $1 spent on strong

tobacco control programs,

states achieve a $55 return on

investment, mostly in averted

health care costs to treat

smoking­related illness.

2

CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers®

campaign is the only national media

campaign focused on inspiring the 7 in 10

American adults who smoke and want to

quit. Tips® features real people—not

actors—suffering from the health

consequences of smoking and

secondhand smoke exposure. It

connects people who smoke with

resources, including a free quitline, 1­800­

QUIT­NOW, to help them quit. CDC

supports state and territorial quitlines to

respond to the immediate and sustained

spikes in call volumes they receive when

the Tips campaign is on air.

Tips saves states money. CDC’s ad

development, placement, and evaluation

allows states to invest in ad placement

during times and in areas not reached by

CDC’s Tips campaign. CDC’s supplemental

quitline support helps states meet the

demands for cessation support generated

by the campaign.

CDC funds data collection,

evaluation, research and laboratory 

activities to monitor tobacco use and 

its health effects among U.S. youth 

and adults. OSH supports the statebased Behavioral Risk Factor

Surveillance System, the National

Health and Nutrition Examination

Survey, and with FDA, supports the

school­based National Youth

Tobacco Survey, the nation’s

premier survey of youth tobacco

use.

National­level surveillance

systems provide consistent,

reliable, and cost­effective data

collection. CDC data are used

by states and others to evaluate

their work and monitor progress.
                 

             

         

How does OSH’s coordination at the Federal level serve states?

OSH provides the critical linkages, expertise, resources, and technical

assistance states need to maximize impact and minimize duplication.

Documenting the problem. OSH produces Surgeon General’s Reports (SGRs) that form the

basis of our understanding of the health effects of tobacco use, secondhand smoke

exposure, and evidence­based tobacco control strategies. And OSH’s epidemiologists

regularly publish high­quality reports on tobacco use trends that states use to monitor

progress, prioritize interventions, and reduce disparities. For SGRs, visit:

cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/index.htm.

Identifying best practices. OSH experts identify what works in tobacco control so that

states don’t have to reinvent the wheel to tackle the problem. OSH regularly updates its

guide, Best Practices for Tobacco Control Programs, which outlines how states can 

develop, implement, and budget for an evidence­based tobacco control program. For

more, visit: cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/best_practices/index.htm.
 

Providing technical assistance and linkages for states and health systems. OSH provides
 

one­on­one technical assistance for state tobacco control programs, partners with states

and health systems working to improve insurance coverage of cessation treatments, and

creates opportunities for states to regularly hear from one another and share best

practices. For more, visit: cdc.gov/sixeighteen/tobacco/index.htm.

Sharing media resources. Through the Media Campaign Resource Center (MCRC), OSH

maintains an online repository of tobacco education ads developed by states, nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and federal agencies. The MCRC allows states to

access these existing ads and dedicate their limited budgets to placement, rather than 

ad development. Since 2012, states that have used the MCRC for Tips ads have saved

nearly $6 million in required fees. Visit the MCRC at cdc.gov/tobacco/mcrc.

Educating the public about tobacco use and young people. For example, OSH

developed a TV public service announcement; interactive website; and resources for

parents, influencers of youth, and pediatric health care providers that translate the

findings of the 2016 Surgeon General’s Report on Electronic Cigarette Use Among Youth 

and Young Adults. These resources make science accessible to the public and reduce

the need for states to develop their own materials. For more, visit ecigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/.

Tracking and visualizing data. Through OSHData, OSH presents comprehensive tobacco

prevention and control data online in an easy to use, interactive application available

to states, researchers, media, and the public. Visit OSHData at cdc.gov/oshdata.