The Institute of Medicine, through its standard rigorous procedures, will appoint a committee of experts to conduct a study on how to prevent children and adolescents from becoming dependent on tobacco products. The committee will review and summarize studies on the biology of addiction, the social and behavioral factors involved in starting to smoke or to use smokeless tobacco, and interventions to prevent dependence and to enhance cessation. In exploring these issues, the committee will take into account heterogeneous target populations comprising different age groups, developmental stages, and cultural backgrounds. Specifically, the committee will review the basic science base, the scientific literature on interventions in children and adolescents, advertising and counteradvertising strategies, enforcement of tobacco sales laws, and other relevant topics it identifies during its deliberations. A final report will present the study's findings, outline a research agenda, evaluate intervention strategies, and make science-based policy recommendations. The 15-member committee will include those with expertise in a broad range of relevant fields, including the molecular neurobiology of addiction, the social psychology of children and adolescents, the behavioral science aspects of risk-taking, preventive interventions among children and adolescents, cultural and ethnic factors influencing tobacco use, and interpretation of statistical and epidemiological studies. Five meetings are planned, at least one of which will include a major workshop to be held at the Beckman Center in Irvine, California.
