The Institute of Medicine will convene a committee to identify ways in which the DoD and the VA can work together to improve the health of both active duty and veteran populations with regard to smoking initiation and cessation. The work of the committee will include consideration of the following:

1. Identify policies and practices that might by used by the DoD and the VA to prevent initiation of smoking and tobacco use in the military.
2. Identify policies or potential barriers that might inhibit broader implementation of evidence-based tobacco use cessation care within both DOD and VA.
3. Identify opportunities for increased access to evidence-based smoking and tobacco use cessation programs within VA and DOD.
4. Evaluate changes, including changes in policy, that could help lower smoking and tobacco use rates in military and veteran populations.
5. Identify policies and practices that address unique tobacco use prevention and cessation needs of special populations in DOD and VA, including populations such as those with psychiatric or other substance use disorders, populations with chronic medical comorbidities, women, and others.
6. Recommend research approaches for reducing initiation of tobacco use and promoting tobacco use cessation.
   

The project is sponsored by The Department of Veterans Affairs.

For further information on this project please visit the National Acadimies Current Project site.