Thomas Novotny reflects on new research by Stanton Glantz and colleagues and the implications of their findings for engaging the tobacco industry on tobacco product regulation.

OBJECTIVE To construct a conceptual model of tobacco industry tactics to undermine tobacco control programmes for the purposes of: (1) developing measures to evaluate industry tactics, (2) improving tobacco control planning, and (3) supplementing current or future frameworks used to classify and analyse tobacco industry documents. DESIGN Web based concept mapping was conducted, including expe...

OBJECTIVE To examine tobacco control implication of the first European product liability suit in Finland. METHODS Systematic search of internal tobacco industry documents available on the internet and at the British American Tobacco Guildford Depository. RESULTS Despite legal loss, the litigation contributed to subsequent tobacco control legislation in Finland. The proceedings revealed that...

Institute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Social and Behavioral Health Sciences Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of T...

BACKGROUND Targeting of marginalized groups with aggressive tobacco marketing has been identified as exacerbating health disparities. However, interpretation of such targeting by groups varies, from surprise and outrage to regarding such marketing as evidence of social legitimacy. We sought to learn how an often-overlooked marginalized group, older adults, would respond to industry documents of...

OBJECTIVE To identify and to discuss factors influencing illegal merchant sales of tobacco to underage people in Ontario, Canada. DESIGN Results were obtained through random retail compliance checks of tobacco merchants. A multivariate analysis specified the relationship between selected independent variables and the willingness of tobacco merchants to sell to minors. The selected independent...

Product liability litigation has made important contributions to tobacco control, especially by uncovering incriminating industry documents and publicizing product dangers and industry misconduct. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 19 encourages Parties to strengthen legal procedures to facilitate these lawsuits and to establish mechanisms for mutual assistance. Creative...

The view on tobacco industry funding for university research, from three very differing perspectives

OBJECTIVES We sought to evaluate changes in countries' enacting advertising bans after the effect of ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). METHODS We compared adoption of advertising bans on five areas (TV and radio, print media, billboards, point-of-sale, sponsorship) in countries that did versus did not ratify the FCTC, accounting for years since the ratification...

The health consequences of tobacco use are well known, but less recognized are the significant environmental impacts of tobacco production and use. The environmental impacts of tobacco include tobacco growing and curing; product manufacturing and distribution; product consumption; and post-consumption waste. The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control addresses envir...