The vector of the tobacco epidemic: tobacco industry practices in low and middle-income countries.

Purpose: To understand transnational tobacco companies' (TTCs) practices in low and middle-income countries which serve to block tobacco-control policies and promote tobacco use.

Methods: Systematic review of published research on tobacco industry activities to promote tobacco use and oppose tobacco-control policies in low and middle-income countries.

Results: TTCs' strategies used in low and middle-income countries followed four main themes-economic activity; marketing/promotion; political activity; and deceptive/manipulative activity.

Tobacco industry success in Costa Rica: the importance of FCTC article 5.3.

Objective: To analyze how the tobacco industry influenced tobacco control policymaking in Costa Rica.

Materials And Methods: Review of tobacco industry documents, tobacco control legislation, newspaper articles, and interviewing of key informants.

Results: During the mid-to-late 1980s, Health Ministry issued several advanced (for their time) smoking restriction decrees causing British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) to strengthen their political presence there, resulting in passage of a weak 1995 law, which, as of August 2011, remained in effect.

The toxic effects of cigarette additives. Philip Morris' project mix reconsidered: an analysis of documents released through litigation.

Background: In 2009, the promulgation of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tobacco regulation focused attention on cigarette flavor additives. The tobacco industry had prepared for this eventuality by initiating a research program focusing on additive toxicity. The objective of this study was to analyze Philip Morris' Project MIX as a case study of tobacco industry scientific research being positioned strategically to prevent anticipated tobacco control regulations.

Local Nordic tobacco interests collaborated with multinational companies to maintain a united front and undermine tobacco control policies.

Objective: To analyse how local tobacco companies in the Nordic countries, individually and through National Manufacturers' Associations, cooperated with British American Tobacco and Philip Morris in denying the health hazards of smoking and undermining tobacco control.

Methods: Analysis of tobacco control policies in the Nordic countries and tobacco industry documents.

Results: Nordic countries were early adopters of tobacco control policies.

Failure of policy regarding smoke-free bars in the Netherlands.

Background: Tobacco companies consistently work to prevent and undermine smoke-free laws. The tobacco industry and its allies have funded hospitality associations and other third parties to oppose smoke-free laws, argue that smoke-free laws will economically damage hospitality venues, promote ventilation and voluntary smoker 'accommodation' as an alternative to smoke-free laws, and to challenge smoke-free laws in court. In 2008, the Netherlands extended its smoke-free law to hospitality venues.

Secondhand smoke exposure and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

Background: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic heart disease and cardiac events. We sought to assess the effect of SHS on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with heart failure.

Methods: Current nonsmokers with heart failure (N = 205) were enrolled in a cohort study.

Association between smokefree laws and voluntary smokefree-home rules.

Background: More states and localities are passing restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces.

Purpose: To determine what, if any, association exists between enactment of strong laws making public places or workplaces smokefree on adoption of voluntary smokefree-home policies, particularly whether such laws are associated with increased smoking at home.

Methods: Logistic regressions were used to estimate the OR of a person living with a 100% smokefree-home rule as a function of individual characteristics, household composition, and whether or not the residential region is covered by clean indoor air laws.

Cardiology Rx for Change: improving clinical attention to tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure in cardiology.

Background: Heart disease is the leading cause of tobacco-related death in smokers and of deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in nonsmokers. This study centers on the development and evaluation of an evidence-based model curriculum for improving clinical attention to tobacco use and SHS exposure in cardiology.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the curriculum would be associated with improvements in clinician tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and counseling behaviors from pre-to post-training and at the 3-month follow-up.

Projected effects of tobacco smoking on worldwide tuberculosis control: mathematical modelling analysis.

Objectives: Almost 20% of people smoke tobacco worldwide--a percentage projected to rise in many poor countries. Smoking has been linked to increased individual risk of tuberculosis infection and mortality, but it remains unclear how these risks affect population-wide tuberculosis rates.

Design: We constructed a state transition, compartmental, mathematical model of tuberculosis epidemics to estimate the impact of alternative future smoking trends on tuberculosis control.

Movies with smoking make less money.

Objective: To determine the relationship between presence of smoking in films and total box office receipts.

Methods: Regression analysis of box office receipts as a function of film rating, production budget, year of release and presence of smoking for 1232 films released in the USA between 2002 and 2010.

Results: R-rated films made, on average, 87% (95% CI 83% to 90%) of what PG-13 films of similar smoking status made and smoking films made 87% (95% CI 79% to 96%) of what comparably rated smoke-free films made.

The nature, scope, and development of the global tobacco control epistemic community.

Over the past 50 years, tobacco control has been transformed from a national to a global issue, becoming institutionalized in the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO. The global tobacco control epistemic community, a worldwide network of professionals with a common interpretation of the science in tobacco use and control, has contributed to this transformation. We investigated the development, structure, and function of this community through interviews and archival documents.

Government inaction on ratings and government subsidies to the US film industry help promote youth smoking.

Christopher Millett and colleagues examine government inaction on the WHO recommendation for adult content ratings in films with smoking, and highlight the generous film industry subsidies these countries provide.

Effect of smoke-free legislation on adult smoking behaviour in England in the 18 months following implementation.

Background: Comprehensive smoke-free legislation covering all enclosed public places and workplaces was implemented in England on 1 July 2007. This study examines the impact of this legislation on smoking prevalence, number of cigarettes smoked and location of smoking, controlling for secular trends through the end of 2008.

Method And Findings: Repeat cross sectional survey using nationally representative data from the Health Survey for England (HSE).

Through tobacco industry eyes: civil society and the FCTC process from Philip Morris and British American Tobacco's perspectives.

Objective: To analyse the models Philip Morris (PM) and British American Tobacco (BAT) used internally to understand tobacco control non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their relationship to the global tobacco control policy-making process that resulted in the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC).

Methods: Analysis of internal tobacco industry documents in the Legacy Tobacco Document Library.

Results: PM contracted with Mongoven, Biscoe, and Duchin, Inc.

Direct disease-inducing effects of menthol through the eyes of tobacco companies.

Objective: Menthol is an important additive in most tobacco products and is an identifying characteristic of many brands. We assessed tobacco companies' research on direct disease-inducing effects of menthol and menthol cigarettes.

Methods: A search was conducted among documents included in the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library.

Menthol: putting the pieces together.

Objective: To integrate information on cigarette companies' understanding and use of menthol as summarised in published research based on previously internal tobacco industry documents with results from large population-based surveys of tobacco use and other independent sources.

Data Sources: Papers published in this supplement of Tobacco Control, together with papers identified using PubMed searches.

Results: Tobacco companies shaped consumer perceptions of menthol cigarettes.

Social responsibility in tobacco production? Tobacco companies' use of green supply chains to obscure the real costs of tobacco farming.

Background: Tobacco companies have come under increased criticism because of environmental and labour practices related to growing tobacco in developing countries.

Methods: Analysis of tobacco industry documents, industry websites and interviews with tobacco farmers in Tanzania and tobacco farm workers, farm authorities, trade unionists, government officials and corporate executives from global tobacco leaf companies in Malawi.

Results: British American Tobacco and Philip Morris created supply chains in the 1990 s to improve production efficiency, control, access to markets and profits.

Increasing the age for the legal purchase of tobacco in England: impacts on socio-economic disparities in youth smoking.

Background: The minimum age for the legal purchase of tobacco increased from 16 to 18 years in England, Scotland and Wales on 1 October 2007. The authors examined the impact of this legislation on disparities in smoking behaviour and access to cigarettes among youth in England.

Methods: A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out adjusting for secular trends in regular smoking using data from the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Survey, a national survey of 11-15 year olds.