Abstract
In this issue of Public Health Reports (PHR), many essential public health concerns are examined, including policy and public service; the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI); tobacco, vaping, and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use; fentanyl and drug abuse; homelessness; Alzheimer’s; and chronic disease issues associated with cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The lead article is from Stephanie Haradopolos, chief of staff and senior advisor for the Office of the Surgeon General, whose Executive Perspective article “Translating Rigorous Science Into Effective Policy” describes opportunities and challenges of using training in academic public health to develop and influence public policy. 1
CAPT John Iskander, with LCDR Jamla Rizek and former Deputy Surgeon General RADM Denise Hinton, coauthored “Contributions of US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Officers to Public Health Reports: Making the Future Now.” 2 This article describes historic contributions and solicits manuscript submissions from the Commissioned Corps to PHR. In “High and Increased Positive Public Opinions About Supports for Breastfeeding, United States, 2015-2024,” Epidemic Intelligence Service alumna LCDR Kristin Marks and her research team found positive public opinion support for breastfeeding, according to large national surveys. 3
More than 60 years ago, Surgeon General Luther Terry released the “Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health.” 4 Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s first official act was to release the report “The Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer” in 1982. 5 Unfortunately, as of 2024, there were more than 33 million adult cigarette smokers in the United States and more than 47 million people who used other tobacco products. 6 This issue of PHR contains 3 articles about ongoing tobacco use. An article by Vijayaraghavan et al presents results from 4 State Leadership Academies, noting declines in smoking prevalence among those with poor mental health and those who have heavy drinking behavior. 7 Ganzer et al describe an assessment of policies passed by the Vermont legislature in 2019 to reduce access to and availability of tobacco and vaping products for children, adolescents, and young adults. 8 They report a decrease in use by middle and high school students with a rise in vaping and e-cigarette use among young adults. Finally, Glantz and Oliveira da Silva’s topical review provides increasing evidence that e-cigarette use is associated with disease outcomes indistinguishable from or approaching combustible cigarette use. They recommend that e-cigarettes not be promoted as a safe alternative to combustible cigarettes. 9
Generative AI can be used to create new content from existing information. As such, the use of AI is a proverbial “double-edged sword” that can be used to generate useful insights and novel ways of learning or may be used for harmful purposes. One example of beneficial AI use is from Ashley Housten and her team of American and Canadian researchers, who provide a template for using AI in accelerating access to cancer screening. 10 Their recommendations for responsible clinical research and implementation of AI in cancer screening may be applicable to similar public health screening programs. An alarming aspect to AI use is noted by Bianca Chu and an international team of researchers from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Poland, who assess generative AI safeguards against the creation of images and videos harmful to public health. 11 Their findings reveal that deceptive images may be successfully generated with AI applications and that safeguards are justified.
Articles in the From the Schools and Programs of Public Health department include Richard Riegelman’s insights into progress made to date for completing the continuum of public health education, using the 2015 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health “Framing the Future” report as the foundation for his analysis. 12 Importantly, this continuum includes further integration of students and faculty in community colleges as well as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, all intended to develop the public health workforce. In addition, an article by Bohn and Petersen examines the use of a service-first focus to strengthen faculty mentoring of mid-career online doctor of public health students. 13 This coaching and mentoring focus is intended to optimally prepare students in this program for academic and professional success.
There are many more noteworthy articles in this issue of PHR. We welcome your input. If you have ideas or suggestions for PHR, please contact us at
