HHS Announces New Smoking Cessation Framework to Support Quitting

All people in America should have access to comprehensive, evidence-based cessation treatment

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new Framework to accelerate smoking cessation and reduce smoking- and cessation-related disparities.  This action is part of a broader Department-wide effort to advance the Biden Cancer Moonshot goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least half over 25 years.

“Every person in America should have access to the tools and programs they need to quit smoking. And we must encourage and assist every person in America who wants to quit smoking to do so,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This framework focuses on advancing equity, engaging communities, and coordinating, collaborating, and integrating evidence-based approaches across every facet of our government and society. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue these efforts until smoking is no longer the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and the communities that remain the most vulnerable get the help they need.”

The HHS Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation provides a unifying vision and set of common goals to help drive progress towards cessation, especially in populations and communities that experience smoking- and cessation-related disparities. It is focused specifically on supporting and accelerating the cessation of combusted tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, and cigarillos among people of all ages.

“Tobacco dependence is a chronic, relapsing disorder driven by addiction to nicotine,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Rachel L. Levine.  “Today’s announcement marks an important milestone reaffirming our commitment to helping people who smoke to quit by working to maximize their access to and awareness of evidence-based interventions and programs.”

The Framework is organized around six goals that serve as a foundation for long-standing HHS efforts to support and promote smoking cessation. These goals will guide future HHS actions, building on the work that is already underway to achieve the Framework vision.

The Framework’s six goals are:

1. Reduce smoking- and cessation-related disparities.
2. Increase awareness and knowledge related to smoking and cessation.
3. Strengthen, expand, and sustain cessation services and supports.
4. Increase access to and coverage of comprehensive, evidence-based cessation treatment.
5. Advance, expand, and sustain surveillance and strengthen performance measurement and evaluation.
6. Promote ongoing and innovative research to support and accelerate smoking cessation.

The Framework outlines a number of recent and upcoming actions that serve as examples of HHS’s commitment to driving further progress towards smoking cessation through an expanded level of collaboration and coordination. Moving forward, HHS will continue to advance the Framework goals through coordinated strategies that leverage the full capacity and resources of HHS agencies, including continued support for the activities highlighted in the Framework. HHS will use the Framework to provide direction for efforts with others across the public and private sectors, including state, local, jurisdictional, and Tribal governments, to advance our collective efforts to improve the nation’s health.

To review the Framework, please visit: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-framework-support-accelerate-smoking-cessation-2024.pdf