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“Profits Over People” is the result of over a year of investigation of more than 10,000 pages of internal tobacco company documents, mainly from Philip Morris and British American Tobacco, who together have most of the market share in LAC, obtained through the Internet and through the Guildford depository in the United Kingdom. The report shows that the tobacco companies:were intensely competitive but collaborated in campaigns against common threats to the industry;hired scientists throughout the region to misrepresent the science linking secondhand smoke to serious diseases, while cloaking in secrecy any connection of these scientists with the tobacco industry;designed “youth smoking prevention” campaigns and programs primarily as public relations exercises aimed at deterring meaningful regulation of tobacco marketing;had detailed knowledge of smuggling networks and markets and actively sought to increase their share of the illegal market by structuring marketing campaigns and distribution routes around it; andenjoyed access to key government officials and succeeded in weakening or killing tobacco control legislation in a number of countries.Although these tactics and strategies are not unique to the Americas region, this is the first study to comprehensively document the industry’s specific activities in LAC.

Arizona was the first state in the US to pass a state clean indoor air law (in 1973) and has a long tradition of grass roots nonsmokers' rights activity. 38 localities in Arizona have passed tobacco control ordinances dealing with clean indoor air (Flagstaff, Mesa, Tucson, among others) and youth access to tobacco products (Tucson, Scottsdale, Somerton, among others). In 1994, Arizona voters passed Proposition 200, which increased the tobacco tax by 40 cents per pack of cigarettes and allocated 23% of the revenues for tobacco control activities, yielding more than $27 million a year for anti-tobacco efforts. It was the third state to do so. The tobacco industry, working through Governor Symington and allies in the Legislature, has successfully limited the scope of the tobacco control program to youth and pregnant women. This limitation will probably limit program effectiveness. Although the coalition of health groups that enacted Proposition 200 has prevented funds from being diverted to non-tobacco uses, it failed to force the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) to develop a comprehensive tobacco control program. Arizona tobacco control advocates have made great progress at the local level, not only in passing local tobacco control ordinances, but also in defeating tobacco industry efforts to overturn these ordinances. The campaign finance and lobbying disclosure laws in Arizona are so weak that it is not possible to quantify the exact amount of money the tobacco industry is spending to influence policy making in that state, it is clear that the tobacco industry has intensified its lobbying efforts in the Legislature. The tobacco industry has focused national resources on Arizona through organizations such as the National Smokers' Alliance in unsuccessful attempts to stop or overturn local tobacco control ordinances. Despite tobacco industry claims to the contrary, local tobacco control ordinances mandating smokefree restaurants and bars have not affected revenues in those businesses.

Tobacco-related diseases kill eight million people worldwide ever year and are responsible for thousands of cases of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses in Brazil. Cigarette filters are believed by many to reduce the health risks of smoking. This article outlines the history of the technology of filters and discusses the impacts of these cigarette design features and their regulation. We conducted a literature review to assess the impacts of this technology. The results show that filters were initially developed for aesthetic purposes and later improved and marketed as a harm reduction technology. The most widely-used filters are those made of cellulose acetate with or without activated carbon. Despite smokers' beliefs and advertising claims, filters have no health benefits and filter tip ventilation can increase the health risks of smoking. Filters can also make cigarettes more appealing and cause significant environmental impacts. Cigarette filters have no health benefits and lull smokers into a false sense of security and should therefore be banned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cadernos de Saude Publica is the property of Escola Nacional de Saude Publica Sergio Arouca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cadernos de Saude Publica is the property of Escola Nacional de Saude Publica Sergio Arouca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Negative impacts of tobacco result from human consumption and from tobacco-growing activities, most of which now occur in low- and middle-income countries. Malawi is the world's largest producer of burley tobacco and its population is affected by the negative consequences of both tobacco consumption and production. In countries like Malawi, tobacco control refers to control of the tobacco supply chain, rather than control of consumption. We review the impact of tobacco cultivation, using Malawi as an example, to illustrate the economic, environmental, health and social issues faced by low- and middle-income countries that still produce significant tobacco crops. We place these issues in the context of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly 3a which calls on all governments to strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Other goals address the negative effects that tobacco cultivation has on development. The SDGs offer an opportunity for low- and middle-income countries that are dependent on tobacco production and that are not yet parties to the Convention, to reconsider joining the FCTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 environmental concerns in Articles 17 and 18, which primarily apply to tobacco agriculture. Article 5.3 calls for protection from policy interference by the tobacco industry regarding the environmental harms of tobacco production and use. We detail the environmental impacts of the tobacco life-cycle and suggest policy responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the nonprofit organization International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC). Information about their role in providing the infrastructure for oncology nurses and increase the influence of nursing to decrease the burden of cancer worldwide, is provided. Also emphasized is their continued effort to create and sustain stakeholder relationships for success in the international work and partnerships.

Nurse scientists have made important contributions to evidence-based practice in tobacco control. This chapter will discuss recent tobacco control developments in the United States and globally, such as legislation giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products manufacturing, marketing and sales, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and a brief review of research that has guided policy advances and nursing research in tobacco control. Suggestions for future research based on the update of the U.S. Public Health Services Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence clinical practice guideline will be explored. These developments offer nursing researchers a wealth of opportunities and challenges to advance nursing and tobacco control knowledge, address research gaps, and bring a unique nursing perspective to tobacco use prevention, reduction of exposure to secondhand smoke, tobacco dependence treatment, and tobacco control policies. Additionally, we will address how nursing scholarship can and should be supported by academic and organizational leadership to support nurses in realizing their full potential in mitigating the global epidemic of tobacco-caused death and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco use is an epidemic of overwhelming proportions affecting survival, causing millions of deaths every year, causing untold human suffering worldwide, and contributing to escalating health care costs. Nursing research is vital to advancing knowledge in the field and to the translation of science to evidence-based practice. As the largest group of health care professionals (17 million worldwide), nurses have the capacity for an enormous impact on this leading cause of preventable death. This chapter thus provides a historical overview of the tobacco epidemic, health risks of smoking and benefits of quitting, nicotine addiction, and recommendations of evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment as a backdrop for understanding the importance and need for nursing scholarship. Also examined are nursing science efforts and leadership in removing two barriers to mounting programs of nursing research in tobacco control: (1) lack of nursing education and training in tobacco control, and (2) limited research funding and mentorship. The chapter also addresses the issue of smoking in the profession as it impacts nurses' health, clinical practice, and, potentially, scholarship efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tobacco industry’s future depends on increasing tobacco use in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), which face a growing burden of tobacco-related disease, yet have potential to prevent full-scale escalation of this epidemic. To drive up sales the industry markets its products heavily, deliberately targeting non-smokers and keeps prices low until smoking and local economies are sufficiently established to drive prices and profits up. The industry systematically flaunts existing tobacco control legislation and works aggressively to prevent future policies using its resource advantage to present highly misleading economic arguments, rebrand political activities as corporate social responsibility, and establish and use third parties to make its arguments more palatable. Increasingly it is using domestic litigation and international arbitration to bully LMICs from implementing effective policies and hijacking the problem of tobacco smuggling for policy gain, attempting to put itself in control of an illegal trade in which there is overwhelming historical evidence of its complicity. Progress will not be realised until tobacco industry interference is actively addressed as outlined in Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Exemplar LMICs show this action can be achieved and indicate that exposing tobacco industry misconduct is an essential first step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The prevalence of missed work breaks by smoking status in healthcare settings is unknown. The work routines of nurses (Registered Nurses [RNs] and Licensed Practical Nurses [LPNs]), who smoke at higher rates than other health professionals, may be influenced by smokers who use breaks to avoid nicotine withdrawal. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between nurses' smoking status and work breaks and to explore the relationships among personal, professional, and workplace variables associated with missed work breaks., Methods: A web-based survey of 2589 staff nurses from 34 hospitals was conducted in 2006. Each hospital had been designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression., Results: The majority (90%) were nonsmokers; 97% were RNs. Missed breaks were common (70%) and differed by smoking status: 59% of smokers and 72% of nonsmokers frequently missed work breaks. Multivariate logistic regression determined that nonsmokers (OR=1.81, 95% CI=1.36, 2.42), LPNs (OR=2.37, 95% CI=1.16, 4.84), older nurses (OR 1.02, 95% CI=1.01, 1.03), those in emergency rooms (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.25, 2.47), and in intensive care units (OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.22, 2.09) were more likely to miss breaks., Conclusions: Missed work breaks were common among nurses. Those who did not smoke were almost twice as likely to miss their work breaks as compared to smokers. Inequities in breaks, especially by smoking status, may cause dissension in the workplace and negatively affect patient care. Policies that support work breaks for all nurses are needed.