Tobacco Industry and Smoking

As the single largest preventable cause of premature death, tobacco use kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. A host of new laws has increased taxes on cigarettes and restricted smoking in public places, and U.S. smoking rates have declined. But nearly one in five adults in the United States still smokes. Despite vigorous criticism from public health advocates and strict limits on advertising and marketing, the tobacco industry continues to promote and profit from its addictive product. Is the tobacco industry responsible for the harm caused by smoking? Should the government regulate tobacco as much as it regulates other drugs? Do tobacco ads manipulate consumers - particularly those at young ages - into adopting a harmful product? ""Tobacco Industry and Smoking, Revised Edition"" addresses these serious and controversial questions as well as many others that pertain to smoking in the United States. Featuring up-to-date legal and historical overviews, reference resources, statistics, and a research guide, this new book will help readers understand the impact of smoking on their lives and communities. Coverage includes: new scholarship on the history of tobacco use in America; an overview of legal issues related to tobacco use, including recent laws that have increased cigarette taxes and restricted smoking in public places; an examination of current trends, such as the shift in tobacco marketing and sales to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America; and, excerpts from tobacco-related documents such as the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.