The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids on Thursday named former Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) Director Brian King as its executive vice president for U.S. programs.
King was removed from his position last month amid mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Brian King is extraordinarily qualified to lead our U.S. programs at this critical time,” said Yolonda C. Richardson, president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Brian has dedicated his career to advancing science-based policies and programs that reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences. His leadership, passion and breadth of knowledge and experience will guide us in the next phase of our work to protect children and end the death and disease caused by tobacco.”
Prior to joining the FDA, King served as the deputy director for research translation in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) office on smoking and health. He also served as executive editor of CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
King has authored more than 200 scientific journal articles related to tobacco prevention and control and served in a senior editorial role for multiple U.S. Surgeon General’s Reports on tobacco.
The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization said King has worked to provide sound scientific evidence to inform tobacco control policy at the federal, state and local levels and to effectively communicate this information to key stakeholders, including policymakers, the media and the public.
“I am excited to join the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an organization that has contributed substantially to reducing the devastating human and financial toll of tobacco use in the United States and around the world,” King said. “I look forward to working with the team to build on the progress that has been made and to confront challenges head on. We cannot take our foot off the gas as tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. and is a major driver of chronic disease and health disparities.”
At CSP's 2024 Tobacco Plus Forum in Schaumburg, Illinois, King served as a guest speaker at the forum and appeared on CSP’s “At Your Convenience” podcast. He discussed CTP’s top priorities, including the creation of a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes.
King holds a Ph.D. and M.P.H. in epidemiology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
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