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Prisoners are vulnerable to tobacco addiction and have a smoking prevalence significantly higher than that of the general community. The context of this study was the implementation of a “smoke-free prisons” policy, which imposed forced smoking cessation onto the Queensland, Australian prison population. The study asked the question: “What are the psychosocial processes in which male prisoners engage during smoking cessation in a smoke-free environment?”

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 prisoners in South-east Queensland smoke-free correctional centres. Grounded theory methodology was applied to construct a theory of the processes of smoking cessation.

The constructed theory was named Engaging with Quitting. In this model, prisoners proceed through a cycle of evaluations, adjustments and reflections on their reality as related to the smoke-free prison. The study gives first-hand accounts of the prisoners’ use (and abuse) of nicotine replacement therapy. Three personality typologies emerged from the data: The Angry Smoker, the Shifting Opportunist and the Optimistic Quitter.

This qualitative study makes no claim of generalisability and cannot be taken to represent all prisoners. Females, youths and culturally diverse prisoners were not represented in the sample.

Smoking cessation in prisons must be recognised as an ongoing process, rather than a discrete event. A coordinated approach between custodial and health authorities is required to minimise maladaptive coping strategies.

This study provides a descriptive account of the processes prisoners undertake during involuntary smoking cessation and has described the manner in which prisoners manufacture home-made tobacco from nicotine patches. The study has produced an original theory named Engaging with Quitting.

This paper briefly reviews the literature on smoking and smoking cessation programmes for people with intellectual disability, and describes the baseline audit of such a programme for patients resident in a forensic service. The audit describes the prevalence of smoking, its significant associations and the effect of an intervention programme. In total, 79 patients participated in the audit, 48 of whom were smokers on admission (60.8%). Roughly a third of smokers gave up during their hospital stay (N = 15). Those who did not give up significantly reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked per day. Female smokers appeared less likely to give up than men. Length of stay and treatment with anti‐psychotic medication were not significantly linked to smoking behaviour. A simple smoking cessation programme with an emphasis on health education and nicotine replacement therapies appeared to be effective in cutting down smoking rates and tobacco consumption in this population. One should be cautious about generalising the conclusions to all forensic hospital services for people with intellectual disability, as the audit was limited by the lack of a control group and conducted in a single service.

The aim of this paper is to examine the confusion and misperceptions regarding the actual risk involved in smokeless tobacco use as an alternative nicotine delivery option for inveterate smokers.

The paper cites published research and current government guidelines to demonstrate misinformation on the part of some in the public health community.

The paper finds that smokeless tobacco is substantially safer than smoking and is a viable choice to increase smoking cessation for those unwilling or unable to quit.

The public is entitled to know the facts about nicotine and the truth about the actual risk levels involved in consuming various forms of tobacco.

Consumers are capable of making an informed choice for themselves regarding the risks of using smokeless tobacco if the truth is communicated to them.

This paper aims to describe the various government measures that regulate the market for novel tobacco harm reduction products (THRPs), with an emphasis on e-cigarettes [electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”)], and evaluates the public health impact of excise taxes levied on these products.

The paper reviews the economic research on the impact ENDS. Using cited evidence, the paper compares the tax treatment of ENDS and cigarettes and provides a simulation of potential lives that can be saved under alternative tax treatment of ENDS.

ENDS are considerably less harmful than cigarettes. Imposing the same tax burden on them (per unit of “harm”) as on cigarettes leads to poorer health outcomes. Differential tax treatment of ENDS will encourage more cigarette smokers to switch to ENDS and could save millions of lives worldwide.

Country experiences with regulatory measures on ENDS are limited to those with high THRP penetration. The paper’s simulation analysis used evidence from a limited number of studies. Rigorous economic analysis is needed to understand how ENDS could save lives and could prevent expected one billion premature deaths by the end of this century.

The paper uses research evidence in its analysis of the impact that the differential taxation of cigarettes and ENDS would have. It also provides a rough estimate of the number of lives that could be saved if more smokers who are trying to quit can make the switch to ENDS.

Briefly highlights the recent lawsuit between the state of Minnesota and seven corporations or organizations promoting the sale of tobacco. Sources for research on the Minnesota lawsuit, and other tobacco litigation, are noted, in particular the Minnesota Document Depository, which houses previously undisclosed tobacco industry documents. It concludes with an Appendix of the timeline and players in the Minnesota tobacco trial from 1994‐1998.

This paper aims to examine preferences for different smoking cessation tools, investigates smokers’ perceptions of these tools by examining their brand personalities and determines whether these perceptions predict intentions to use particular cessation tools.

Two surveys of smokers evaluated cessation tools from electronic cigarettes to hypnosis.

Smokers showed a strong preference for electronic cigarettes over other cessation tools. Different aspects of brand personality predicted intention to use different cessation tools.

The research used online surveys rather than real purchasing behavior. The results indicate that advertisements emphasizing the personality attributes of different cessation tools could be effective in encouraging the use of appropriate cessation tools.

If research validates e-cigarettes as a valuable cigarette smoking cessation tool, then public service advertisements encouraging their use should emphasize their sincerity and excitement. If e-cigarettes have a net negative effect on public health, public service advertising should stress that the marketing of e-cigarettes is not sincere.

This research extends the idea of brand personality, showing how it can encourage behavior that promotes public health goals.

To a great extent research about smoking cessation has focussed on effects from different support programs and means, in spite of that several studies have shown that over 90 percent quit smoking without such help. Factors that are important for the individual in the process from being a smoker to becoming smoke-free is less examined and also how these factors interact. The purpose of this paper is to describe typical careers or pathways that end up with a successful smoking cessation.

Respondents were recruited during Oct 2009-May 2010 via screening-questions in the so-called Monitor – project. By the turn of each month 1,500 individuals, aged 16-84, from a representative sample in the Swedish population, were interviewed via telephone. Respondents who stated being previous daily smokers, but smoke-free for at least 12 months, and agreed to participate were asked to answer a postal survey (n=1,683) concerning their process to a smoke-free life. The analyses of data included the linking of individuals between different states in the stages toward becoming smoke-free.

Several typical pathways were described and respondents with more severe smoking habits followed different pathways than individuals with milder problems. Nicotine replacement therapys or Swedish smoke-free tobacco was not found to be a component in any of the typical pathways.

Smoking cessation is a heterogeneous phenomenon and individuals can follow several pathways to become smoke-free, therefore this study adds to a more nuanced picture of smoking cessation and also expands the knowledge concerning smoking cessation in individual long-term processes.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the response to HIV/AIDS and drug use (drugs harm reduction) with tobacco harm reduction.

Analysis of historical and contemporary sources, combined with personal knowledge of key stakeholders in the history and development of both fields.

Both drugs harm reduction and tobacco harm reduction share a similar objective – to reduce health risks for people who are unwilling or unable to stop using their drug of choice. Both also share a broader public health aim of helping people to make healthier decisions. Drugs harm reduction – as a response to HIV/AIDS – included the adoption of a wide range of radical harm reduction interventions and was a public health success. It became an established part of the professional Public Health agenda. In contrast the Public Health response to e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction has ranged from the negative to the cautious. A recent Public Health England report is exceptional for its endorsement of e-cigarettes.

Highlights contradictions in Public Health responses to drugs and tobacco; and that public health interventions can be implemented without and despite the contribution of professional Public Health.