The 2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health seeks presentations and workshops that will provide tobacco control and other public health professionals, students, and volunteers with current scientific and practical information on effective tobacco control strategies and developments. Anyone knowledgeable about any aspect of tobacco control--veterans, newcomers, and everyone in between--is welcome to submit an abstract.

We expect 2,500 to 3,000 participants in 2005, and this audience is diverse. The majority of participants tend to be state, local, or college tobacco control practitioners in management positions, but many nonmanagers and researchers also attend.

Requirements for Submitting an Abstract

The challenge of organizing and scheduling a conference with 3,000 participants requires the cooperation of all presenters. The conference organizers need you to agree to the terms listed below. If you cannot agree to these requirements, you should not submit an abstract.

By submitting an abstract, you and your copresenters (if any) agree to the following:

• You will pay for your registration by February 17, 2005, if your abstract is accepted (you will be notified about acceptance by January 11). If you do not register by February 17, your abstract will be removed from the program. All presenters are responsible for their own registration, transportation, and other expenses required to attend the conference. The registration fee should not exceed $365. Scholarships are not available to speakers.
• You will present your abstract on the day it is assigned (May 4, 5, or 6), if it is accepted.
• You will present in a room set in theater style (for oral presentations).
• You will be able to present your oral presentation using the equipment provided by the conference organizers (an LCD projector, laptop, and an overhead projector).

All abstracts must be submitted online by Midnight, E.S.T., October 31, 2004.

We regret that applications will NOT be reviewed or considered if they are

• Not completed according to the guidelines or
• Are incomplete or
• Are received after the deadline

Increase Your Abstract’s Chances of Acceptance: Meet the Review Criteria

All abstracts will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• How clearly and concretely did you describe the required elements in the abstract? Are the results or key points included and clearly stated?
• How useful, practical, or relevant to conference participants are your results, key points, or conclusions?
• For empirical abstracts, how strong and appropriate are your methods and conclusions?
• How well did your abstract present the evidence or rationale for the program, methods, and recommendations? Are the methods recommended in the 2000 Surgeon General’s Report, the Public Health Service’s Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence, or the Guide to Community Preventive Services, or is there a clear rationale for the methods presented?

  Complete All Required Fields
  
  All items not specifically labeled as optional must be completed. All items marked with an asterisk in the section on Presenter Information must be completed.

  If You Have Questions

  You can view some information about preparing for an online submission by clicking here.

  If you have questions on the content of your abstract or on the conference's objectives, e-mail abstracts@tobaccocontrolconference.org or phone (301) 294-5664 and you will receive a response within 10 days. Questions on the mechanics of the online submission process should be directed to tech support.

  If you have questions about the conference, registration, Chicago, and so forth, visit
  The 2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health.

  Ready to Submit?

  Select the Program Area for Your Abstract

• Please review the descriptions of each program area.
• Select the one program area that best describes the subject of your presentation. If your abstract falls under more than one program area, please select the one that is most appropriate.

• Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs or Combined Strategies: Presentations may review or provide evidence on the effectiveness of comprehensive tobacco control programs, discuss ways to organize comprehensive programs, or present case studies on organizing and managing comprehensive tobacco control programs. Abstracts in this category need to address a combination of at least three program areas (e.g., media, policy, prevention, cessation). Presentations could also deal with working with a limited budget and training and support of local and state organizations or coalitions. Abstracts that discuss a comprehensive approach to one program area (e.g., cessation, youth prevention, disparities, or media) should be submitted to that one program area.

• Evaluation and Surveillance: Presentations could discuss conducting and analyzing population-based surveys on tobacco use and consequences; defining and measuring outcomes to evaluate tobacco control programs or specific interventions; conducting evaluations with limited funding; addressing tobacco use measurement issues; preparing evaluation designs; organizing process evaluations of tobacco control programs; collecting and reporting program data to policymakers; and applying innovative qualitative and quantitative research methods.

• Cessation, Nicotine, and the Science of Addiction: Presentations could discuss topics such as incentives; reimbursement and insurance issues; telephone quitline services; innovative delivery methods; cessation programs in health care or other settings; cessation programs for youth and adults; cessation interventions for specific populations; advances in the understanding and treatment of nicotine addiction; and cessation training programs and certification.

• Increasing Diversity/Eliminating Disparities: This Program Area addresses increasing diversity in the tobacco control movement; encouraging partnerships and involvement of various population groups in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of tobacco control programs; and strategies for identifying and eliminating disparities related to tobacco use among population groups defined by gender, race, ethnicity, education, income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation.

• Public Policy and Advocacy Strategies: Presentations could address issues such as promoting and enforcing clean indoor air ordinances and laws, youth access laws, tobacco taxes, and marketing restrictions. This Program Area also includes advocating for the funding of tobacco control programs and maintaining successful coalitions for advocacy purposes.

• Media and Communications Strategies: This Program Area covers topics such as planning, implementing, and evaluating paid media campaigns; using media advocacy; negotiating free media time; assessing the relative effectiveness of radio, print, television, and electronic media; developing media strategies for rural, urban, and suburban areas; targeting special populations through media; tracking and countering tobacco industry influence; and message development.

• Tobacco Use Prevention Among Youth: Presentations could cover topics such as youth advocacy programs, school-based tobacco prevention programs, programs to counter tobacco advertising aimed at youth, and other interventions to prevent youth and young adults from starting to smoke. Abstracts primarily addressing cessation among youth should be submitted to the cessation program area.