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.

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.