Hosted as part of the Guest Lecture Series from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, the afternoon featured a compelling keynote lecture from world-renowned epidemiologist Professor Sir Richard Peto titled ‘Tobacco deaths: the past 75 years and the next 75’.
Combined with presentations from the Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, the event brought together leading researchers in tobacco research to reflect on how their work examining tobacco use, cessation, and harm reduction has evolved over decades of study, and to discuss future priorities for reducing the global burden of smoking-related disease.
Insights on tobacco harm
The Guest Lecture opened with an introduction from Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Head of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, who welcomed participants and set the stage for an afternoon exploring both the historical and future directions of tobacco control.
Associate Professor Nicola Lindson, who leads the Oxford Tobacco Addiction Group (OxTAG) within NDPCHS, provided an overview of the team’s wide-ranging work. Short presentations followed, showcasing OxTAG’s contributions to:
- Understanding smoking cessation treatment and policy through systematic reviews by Dr Ailsa Butler and Dr Jonathan Livingstone-Banks
- Addressing unequal smoking rates across socioeconomic groups by Dr Angela Wu and Annika Theodoulou
- Supporting people with co-morbid conditions to switch to vaping when they do not wish to stop smoking entirely by Dr Rachna Begh and Jack Joyce.
The highlight of the event was a guest lecture by Professor Sir Richard Peto from the Nuffield Department of Population Health, titled ‘Tobacco deaths: the past 75 years and the next 75’. One of the world’s most influential epidemiologists, Professor Peto traced the enormous public health impact of tobacco use since the mid-20th century, drawing lessons for future prevention and policy.
‘Since 1950, research into the impact of tobacco on public health has saved millions of lives,’ said Professor Peto. ‘The next 75 will depend on how we act on the evidence to prevent the next generation of tobacco-related deaths.’
Professor Lindson explained, ‘Research into tobacco addiction at Oxford has adapted over the past decades, to ensure that when we develop interventions to help people to stop smoking, and then test their effectiveness, we are helping those people who are most impacted by tobacco smoking – those who are most dependent and find it hardest to quit. As we look ahead, our goal is to ensure that future generations are protected from the harms of tobacco through evidence-based policy and innovation.’
Insightful questions followed both sessions, drawing lively discussion on the broad ranging research taking place in both departments.
The event concluded with reflections from Professor Prabhat Jha, another global leader in tobacco epidemiology and Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health, who emphasised the ongoing importance of evidence-based research and international collaboration in reducing smoking-related deaths worldwide.
Building collaboration
Professor Sheikh praised the spirit of partnership between the two departments, noting that ‘the fight against tobacco addiction is both one of public health’s greatest successes and ongoing challenges. It’s inspiring to see researchers from both departments within the University of Oxford continuing to advance this work with such rigour and passion.’
The event underscored not only the decades-long legacy of tobacco research at Oxford, but also the vital importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling one of the world’s most persistent causes of preventable death.