This policy statement on smoking and health was written by a working group of experts commissioned by the American Heart Association's Subcommittee on Smoking to study relevant issues and recommend appropriate policies for achieving a smoke-free society by the year 2000. To aid in developing and implementing public policies designed to facilitate the transition from a smoking to a nonsmoking society, the report discusses and recommends four policies: (1) increasing the federal cigarette excise tax; (2) eliminating or restricting tobacco advertising and other forms of smoking promotion; (3) assuring the rights of nonsmokers to clean air through legislative means; and (4) identifying mechanisms to ease and assist the transition of tobacco farmers to other crops or careers. Each of these four policy recommendations is discussed in detail and it is noted that each recommendation addresses both the prevention of the initiation of smoking habits and the encouragement of cessation. In addition to these four policies, the report stresses a need for more and better school health education and for continued research on smoking and health; recognizes that other policies are also important; and expresses concern over both the rapid growth of smoking in Third World countries and the growing use and documented hazards of smokeless tobacco. (Author/NB)