General description

This course is intended for students to think critically about the challenges that governments encounter in regulating tobacco products that generate tax revenue, but incur medical costs for treating chronic illness. The course is taught from an interdisciplinary perspective with a strong emphasis on the role that public health science has played in shaping tobacco control policy. The course examines the supply and demand for tobacco from the perspectives of the industry and consumer, respectively. As such, the focal point is the epidemiologic triad connecting the agent (tobacco product), host (tobacco user), and environment (e.g., tobacco marketing) to the vector (tobacco industry).Contemporary topics include tobacco harm reduction and tobacco endgame strategies. The course culminates in a group project illustrating the role of various parties involved in the production of tobacco, distribution, marketing, policymaking, regulation, litigation, public health and advocacy.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course, each student should know:

1)the general trends in worldwide tobacco use and outcomes
2)interrelationships in the epidemiologic triad (agent?host?environment connected by the vector)
3)strategies used by the tobacco industry in subverting government regulations
4)successful approaches in reducing consumer?s demand for tobacco products
5)use of litigation in lieu of federal policy (i.e. U.S. example)
6)concept of tobacco harm reduction (e.g., Swedish snus, electronic cigarettes)
7)tobacco endgame strategies highlighted by Finland?s 2030 tobacco?free initiative
8)the role of various groups vested in the control and promotion of tobacco products (refer to group project)

Contents

Lecture Material
1) global toll of tobacco and current projections
2) tobacco industry?s early response to epidemiologic findings
3) taxation as a tobacco control strategy
4) role of comprehensive tobacco control programs
5) clean indoor air policies
6) restrictions on tobacco marketing
7) supply-side options for tobacco endgame
8) role of tobacco harm reduction

Group Project
A group of students will be involved in the development, marketing, and regulation of a new tobacco product (combustible, smokeless or electronic) in a country of the group?s choosing. Each student will have an official role representing either the tobacco company, tobacco retailer/wholesaler, federal legislator, government regulator (e.g., U.S. FDA), public health advocacy group (e.g., Cancer Society of Finland), advocacy group for non-tobacco users (e.g., Americans for Nonsmokers? Rights), or advocacy group for tobacco consumers. The last two classes of the course will be designated for the presentation of the proposed tobacco product.

Evaluation and evaluation criteria

Pass/fail.
Pass/fail based on final exam (50%) and group project (50%).

Study materials

Course readings will consist of journal articles from Tobacco Control.