Tobacco Control

Synonyms

Secondhand smoke; Smokeless tobacco; Smoking; Smoking cessation; Smoking prevention; Tobacco policy

Definition

Tobacco control includes all measures aiming at the reduction of tobacco use and of its harmful consequences in the population.

Thus tobacco control includes measures aiming at both prevention and cessation of the use of all tobacco products – both smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco.

Description

Introduction

The great health risks from smoking have been convincingly shown since the 1950s. It is now known that all forms of tobacco use, both smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco, i.e., are both addictive and potentially lethal. Scientific evidence confirms that smokers have significantly elevated risks of death from many cancers, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and many other fatal conditions US Department of Health and Education and Welfare 1972). The harmful effects of secondhand smoke have also long been convincingly established (Öberg et al. 2011).