The development of scientific consultants: how the tobacco industry creates controversy on the carcinogenicity of tobacco-specific nitrosamines.

Background: Tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) are a group of carcinogens, which originate from nicotine and other tobacco alkaloids during fermentation and burning of tobacco. Between 1990 and 2010, the tobacco industry-funded extensive academic research on TSNAs in Germany. The objective was to gain better knowledge of how industry aims and strategies correlate with contents of publications by German toxicologists accepting tobacco industry funding by focusing on one prominent such toxicologist.

German medical students lack knowledge of how to treat smoking and problem drinking.

Aim: To assess the extent of undergraduate medical training on alcohol use disorders (AUD) and smoking, and medical students' perceived knowledge regarding consequences of, and treatment options for, these disorders compared with other chronic conditions.

Design: Cross-sectional survey assessing teaching and perceived knowledge of health consequences and treatment options for AUD and smoking compared with diabetes and hypertension.

Setting: Medical schools in Germany.

The so-called "Spanish model" - tobacco industry strategies and its impact in Europe and Latin America.

Background: To demonstrate the tobacco industry rationale behind the "Spanish model" on non-smokers' protection in hospitality venues and the impact it had on some European and Latin American countries between 2006 and 2011.

Methods: Tobacco industry documents research triangulated against news and media reports.

Results: As an alternative to the successful implementation of 100% smoke-free policies, several European and Latin American countries introduced partial smoking bans based on the so-called "Spanish model", a legal framework widely advocated by parts of the hospitality industry with striking similarities to "accommodation programmes" promoted by the tobacco industry in the late 1990s.

Tobacco use and cessation among medical students in Croatia--results of the Global Health Professionals Pilot Survey (GHPS) in Croatia, 2005.

Objectives: To collect information from third year medical students attending Croatian medical schools on prevalence of cigarette smoking and other tobacco use, exposure to second-hand smoke, desire to quit using tobacco, attitudes and training concerning counselling patients on tobacco cessation.

Methods: Global Health Professionals Survey (GHPS) was conducted in 2005 in all four Croatian medical schools with a census of third year medical students (404 out of 409, response rate 98.5%) using an anonymous, confidential and self-reported questionnaire.