The value of research as a component of successful tobacco control in China

Research has been shown to be a critical component of successful national tobacco control programmes. China currently has a small number of dedicated researchers addressing tobacco use and control. We encourage the growth of tobacco research as an academic and governmental field of inquiry. Such research would include multiple foci: biologic and toxicologic, epidemiologic, economic, health promotion, evaluation, policy and regulatory, and legal. Developing a community of tobacco researchers would elevate the tobacco issue on the public policy agenda, encourage transparency among key stakeholders and better identify strategies of tobacco control that could be effective in the Chinese context.