Global Tobacco Control: Power, Policy, Governance and Transfer

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death and disease in the world. This has been known for some time but the responses of governments to this problem have varied enormously. Many countries which now have comprehensive tobacco control regimes did very little to regulate tobacco until the 1980s. Further, many countries still have very limited tobacco controls. The book raises two key questions: Why is there often such a wide gap between the size of the policy problem and the government response? And why, if the problem is the same across the globe, does policy vary so markedly across political systems? This is the first major book by political scientists explaining global tobacco control policy. It identifies a history of minimal tobacco control, linked to the power of the tobacco industry, then charts the extent to which governments, aided by public health advocates, have regulated tobacco domestically and internationally in the modern era. REVIEWS: 'This readable book uses well-established theories from political and policy science to explain and interpret the tug-of-war between public health and the tobacco industry that has occurred over the past half century. It is not only an important contribution to political science, but provides a framework for practitioners to understand how and why public health has succeeded that can be used to think about and act in the future.' - Stanton A. Glantz, Professor of Medicine, American Legacy Foundation Distinguished Professor in Tobacco Control and Director, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, USA 'Global Tobacco Control is a masterful and comprehensive study of tobacco control policies across nations. While the health problems associated with tobacco are similar across nations, policy responses have varied in both intensity and timing of adoption, and in effect. By exploring these variations systematically, Cairney, Studlar and Mamudu have written a book that will be closely studied and taught in political science, public policy studies, public health, and associated fields.' - Bryan D. Jones, J.J. "Jake" Pickle Regent's Chair in Congressional Studies, Department of Government, University of Texas, USA 'If smoking control is an idea whose time has come, then this volume is a book whose time has truly arrived. Smoking is not just a public health issue. The authors successfully unravel the legal and political considerations of the 'tobacco problem' which was spread around the world by the expanding economic reach and social power of tobacco companies. Today, tobacco is not simply the subject of public policy but requires on-going global policy responses. The authors - Cairney, Studlar and Mamudu - each distinguished in their separate fields of international relations, political science and public health, bring practical wisdom and conceptual justification behind the pressing need for tobacco control.' - Diane Stone, Winthrop Professor, University of Western Australia, Australia 'This is an excellent case study in which the authors provide a thorough account of global tobacco control issues using political and public policy analysis. The book is clearly written, accessible and will be of great interest to students of politics, policy analysis and public health.' - Rob Baggott, Professor, Health Policy Research Unit, De Montfort University, UK