Lessons Learned on Addressing Racism: Recommendations from The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco's Racial Equity Task Force

In light of increased international awareness of the fatal consequences of racism, in August 2020, the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) Board of Directors created the Racial Equity Task Force (RETF). The RETF was charged with identifying problem areas within SRNT and recommending changes that would advance an anti-racist agenda in SRNT and promote racial equity both within SRNT and in the field of nicotine and commercial tobacco research. SRNT, an international scientific society with the majority of members residing within the United States, acknowledges and strives to better understand and intervene on racism, from structural to individual levels, to advance nicotine and commercial tobacco research and reduce unequal tobacco-related harms. Racism exists across the globe and takes different forms depending on the context. Despite this complexity, an important part of this effort is to reflect on SRNT's own policies and practices, to ultimately eliminate all forms of racism from SRNT.