What is the significance of the dip in overall cancer mortality rates?
It’s not a dip; it’s an inflection point or a change in direction. That is exciting, and it is especially exciting that the steepest declines in cancer death rates were among African Americans, although racial disparities still exist. Cancer is possibly the most feared chronic disease, bringing to mind images of pain, loss of vitality and great suffering before death. Evidence that tobacco-control efforts are in fact reducing cancer deaths is significant, and can positively affect the psyche of the nation. There is ever mounting evidence on how vital the tobacco-control efforts have been. A recent report from California shows a substantially larger decline in lung cancer rates there than in the rest of the United States where the efforts have begun later and were not as comprehensive. Q: RWJF’s strategy in tobacco control is to focus on policy changes that prevent and reduce tobacco use and exposure. Why did RWJF adopt this approach? A: Over years of grant funding, it has become increa
