title: The role of epidemiology in evidence-based policy making: a case study of tobacco use in youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sound public health policy is based on relevant and timely information. A brief review of the history of youth tobacco control illustrates the central role of epidemiology to inform policy choices and evaluate their consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  A narrative review was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epidemiologic studies have shown that most smokers begin as adolescents or young adults and individuals who reach their mid-20s as nonsmokers are unlikely to ever become smokers. This key recognition made it clear that long-term tobacco control must prevent initiation of smoking among youth. Over time, tobacco use prevention interventions have evolved, increasing in reach and effectiveness as they moved from initially focusing on the individual to an approach that targets both populations and communities. Effective interventions for preventing youth smoking include raising tobacco prices, clean indoor air laws, and intensive mass media campaigns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Great strides have been made in youth tobacco control but 18% of high-school students continue to smoke. It is up to epidemiologists, fellow scientists, practitioners, and advocates to assure that strategies that are known to work are fully implemented and to continue to find more successful solutions that can further lower the incidence of youth smoking initiation and can address new tobacco products and changing contexts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; Division of Epidemiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Melinda C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aldrich
authors.affiliation: Section on Statistical Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
authors.forename: Bertha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Widome
authors.affiliation: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briss
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center in St. Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO; Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brownson
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: steutsch@ph.lacounty.gov.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Teutsch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011050:Policy Making; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; Public health policy; Smoking; Tobacco