Faculty: Henriksen
Contact: Nina Parikh

Tobacco Use Cessation

Drs. Fortmann and Killen have been studying ways to improve smoking cessation methods since 1983, based on Dr. Fortmann’s experience with these methods in the Five-City Project and Dr. Killen’s work investigating the combination of behavioral relapse prevention methods and nicotine replacement. This line of research now includes numerous research studies involving over 3000 smokers. These studies included various forms of psychological intervention, including videotape-based training, and several pharmacological components, including nicotine gum and patch, paroxetine, bupropion, and selegiline.

Dr. Killen has also pioneered intervention studies for tobacco smoking cessation in adolescents.

Tobacco Control

The Center has a long history of conducting research related to tobacco policy issues, including youth access to tobacco products from retail and social sources and tobacco industry marketing practices. Early studies of youth access to tobacco were among the first to document rates of illegal tobacco sales to minors and to evaluate a variety of strategies to reduce sales with a particular focus on the enforcement of laws that regulate tobacco sales. The results of these studies stimulated debate and additional research about the issue, as well as policy action to reduce tobacco sales to minors both in California and nationally.

Tobacco companies spend more money advertising at retail outlets than any other advertising venue available for promoting cigarettes. Drs. Henriksen and Fortmann have conducted a series of studies on the role of retail marketing in promoting tobacco use in adolescents.

In laboratory studies with young adult smokers, Drs. Henriksen and Killen examined whether exposure to cigarette ads and pack displays increase craving and whether exposure to graphic warning labels decrease craving.

Global Tobacco Policy Research

Dr. Fortmann is working with colleagues in Anthropology and History to study ways to improve efforts to prevent the massive epidemic of tobacco-related disease that is predicted for the developing world. For more information, see The Global Tobacco Prevention Research Initiative.