The ninth annual meeting of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) was held February 19-22, 2003, in New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 800 registered attendees, this year's meeting was the largest to date. The 3-day scientific program included C. Everett Koop as the keynote speaker, four exemplary plenary speakers, 10 symposia, nine oral paper sessions, and four poster sessions that contained nearly 100 presentations per session. The meeting content emphasized three major areas of SRNT's scientific focus: Epidemiology/public health research, preclinical research, and clinical research. Thus, the meeting was an outstanding opportunity to interact with and learn from colleagues engaged in the broad area of nicotine and tobacco research around the globe. Additional events included pre- and postconference meetings, evening workshops that ranged from future directions for global tobacco research to grant writing for the new investigator, several scientific and travel awards, a members' meeting, and an opening reception. The scientific excellence and innovation presented at this year's meeting signifies SRNT's continued contributions to advancing our understanding of nicotine addiction and tobacco use.