International Consortium for Action and Research on Tobacco Launched

Cancer Council Australia, Cancer Research UK, the Union for International Cancer Control, the US National Cancer Institute have formally united to create the International Consortium for Action and Research on Tobacco.
The consortium is committed to furthering research into evidence-based tobacco control, to reduce the six million tobacco related deaths which occur throughout the world each year. Tobacco is responsible for one in three cancer deaths and research shows that by 2030, more than 80 per cent of tobacco-related mortality will be in low-and-middle income countries. It is prediction to kill about one billion people in the 21st century, if current trends continue.
Cancer Research UK Chief Executive Officer Harpal Kumar says: “Tobacco consumption is a burning platform that requires an urgent global solution. Governments around the world have committed to reduce tobacco use by 30 per cent by 2025. This won't be achieved by words alone. We have to reduce the huge number of lives affected by tobacco and we hope that the announcement of this global consortium, backed up by this initial investment pledge, will help expand tobacco control research in the countries which need it most. We will generate locally relevant evidence that will be capable of being implemented rapidly. If we act together, we could save 200 million of the one billion tobacco deaths that we will otherwise see this century.”
“Millions of people are dying throughout the world each year due to something that is entirely preventable. The global cancer community must unite to reduce tobacco use. By joining forces we will accelerate progress in tobacco control and ultimately save lives that would otherwise be needlessly lost. Through the International Consortium for Action and Research on Tobacco we commit to mobilise our combined knowledge and resources in this fight”, said Cary Adams, UICC Chief Executive Officer.
While a large body of tobacco control research has been generated in high-income countries, there is an acute need for high-quality, locally-relevant research that informs policy and addresses the varying social, economic, cultural and political situations in LMICs. This is the key priority of the International Consortium for Action and Research on Tobacco.
Chief Executive Officer, Cancer Council Australia, Professor Ian Olver said Australia has led the way in innovative tobacco control policies. "We are proud to be helping found the International Consortium for Action and Research on Tobacco, and to share our knowledge and experiences to further advance tobacco control worldwide," he said