The Reduce Smoking and Exposure to Tobacco (ReSET) Center was established in 2007 to reduce tobacco exposure regionally, nationally and globally through research and education.
The center is an interdisciplinary group of nationally and internationally recognized researchers and practitioners who address tobacco use and cessation from multiple perspectives, including neuroscience, behavioral pharmacology, epidemiology, medicine, and clinical treatment.
What’s New
Resources Available from Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act: Developing a Multi-Disciplinary Agenda
The ReSET Center convened an afternoon workshop with researchers from a variety of disciplines and organization on May 19, 2011 to set a research agenda. The FSPTCA gives the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products, including how cigarettes are made, sold, promoted, and advertised. The FDA will need all kinds of data on subjects ranging from tobacco toxicology and pharmacology to consumer attitudes and behavior.
Speakers included Mitch Zeller, JD; J. Jeffrey Inman, PhD; Saul Shiffman, PhD; Alexandria Armstrong (standing in for Deborah Brown, MS, CHES); Eric Donny, PhD; and Hilary Tindle, MD.
Powerpoint presentations are available.
ReSET Director Testifies at Auditor General's Hearing
ReSET Director Stephanie Land testified at a hearing convened by Auditor General Jack Wagner about tobacco and public health. The hearing was held Monday, April 25, 2011.
Tobacco is "a crucial front in the battle for public health," Dr. Land said, before identifying several opportunities for goverment to act. Her testimony is available as a PDF file.
ReSET Hosts Breakfast Talk with NIH's Patricia Mabry
ReSET's November event featured Dr. Patricia Mabry, Senior Advisor in the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research at the NIH, who spoke about NIH New Directions in Tobacco and Systems Science Research. While at Pitt, Dr. Mabry also spoke as part of the Public Health Dynamics Seminar Series on "Simulation Modeling to Inform Tobacco Control Policies."
ReSET Supports Great American Smokeout on Campus
The ReSET Center continued its support of efforts by Pitt's Campuses Against Cancer and Student Health Service to draw attention to risks of smoking and benefits of smoking cessation.
ReSET Hosts Table at GSPH Information Marketplace
As part of the Center's effort to involve students in tobacco control and smoking research, ReSET Director Stephanie Land hosted a table at the Graduate School of Information Marketplace on August 27, 2010. Participants received information about tobacco-related issues, networked, and entered a "smoke-free kiss"-themed contest. See our news page for details.
ReSET Strives to Increase Awareness on Pitt Campus
In August and September 2010, the ReSET Center helped draw attention to smoking and tobacco-related issues on campus with involvement at the Student Activities Fair, the GSPH Information Marketplace, and a Student Health Center Health Fair. Please let us know if you would like to help with such events.
ReSET Roundtable Presentations Available Online
ReSET Roundtable seminars combine the presentation of research with discussion. The events are available for viewing as streaming video and/or in Powerpoint format.
Nicotine/Cotinine Analysis Available from SMBC
The Small Molecule Biomarker Core (SMBC) was founded through a partnership of the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences within the School of Pharmacy. One of the analyses it makes available to clinical researchers is the simultaneous analysis of nicotine and cotinine in blood and tissue samples. Find out more on the ReSET Resources page or the SMBC Web site.
AACR Statement on Tobacco Published
ReSET Center Director Stephanie Land is a member of the task force and writing committee behind the Statement on Tobacco and Cancer recently issued by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The policy has been published in Cancer Research online and in the journal's May 1, 2010 print issue.
ReSET Hosts Discussion of Tobacco Control Challenges
With Kenneth E. Warner, PhD, dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health and founding director of the Tobacco Research Network on hand to give this year's Parran lecture, ReSET Director Stephanie Land organized a meeting of local leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges for the ReSET Center.
ReSET Director, Steering Committee Members Address Proposed State Budget Problems
Concerned about dramatic cuts to funding for smoking cessation programs, ReSET Center Director Stephanie Land and members of the Center's steering committee talked with the media. Read more.
New Resource Helps Researchers Quickly Access Tobacco Data Sets
ReSET Center staff has pulled together a list of tobacco-related data sets. The resource is available as a pdf file, complete with brief summaries of each item and clickable links to the appropriate Web sites. Read more.
ReSET Director Considers the Dangers of Candy Cigarettes
While visiting the Oregon Research Institute (ORI), ReSET Center Director Stephanie Land became concerned about the lessons children might learn from the sale of candy cigarettes. She co-authored a letter to the editor with her colleagues at ORI about this topic. Read more.
Behavioral Risk Survey Taking Place in Allegheny County
Tobacco use is among the behavioral and and environmental risk factors addressed by the county's behavioral risk factor survey. The survey uses random-digit dialed telephone calls of 5,000 residents age 18 or older. Read more.
ReSET Director Gives Presentation to Secretary of Health
Everette James, secretary of the PA Department of Health, visited GSPH to discuss opportunities for university-state collaboration. He was joined by Michael Huff, deputy secretary of health planning and assessment and Artis Hall, executive director of the Southwest District of the Department of Health. Read more.
Campus-wide Clean Air Initiative Takes Off
The ReSET Center, Student Health Service, and UPMC Health Plan cooperated on a multidisciplinary task force aiming to tackle smoking behavior change among faculty, staff, and students at the University of Pittsburgh. Read more.
Breathe Deep! New PA Clean Indoor Air Law In Effect
On September 11, 2008, Pennsylvania joined 32 other states—including neighbors Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland—in enacting clean indoor air legislation. At last, thousands of Pennsylvania’s workers are ensured protection from secondhand smoke.
For details, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and Tobacco Free Allegheny Web sites. (Note that compliance is complaint-based. Individuals who wish to file a complaint can do so through the DOH Web site or by calling 1-877-835-9535).
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