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PRACTICE: Scott E Sherman A framework for tobacco control: lessons learnt from Veterans Health Administration BMJ 2008; 336: 1016-1019 [Full text]

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Need to incorporate framework in tobacco control programmes

Om Prakash   (4 May 2008)

Need to incorporate framework in tobacco control programmes 4 May 2008
Om Prakash, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Geriatric Clinic & Services, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore, INDIA Send response to journal: Re: Need to incorporate framework in tobacco control programmes	The report (1) suggests a systematic framework for tobacco control. I would suggest that the governments throughout the world must incorporate these guidelines in their tobacco control programmes. In the last 50 years, the health risks of smoking first became widely recognized, the political and public health responses to smoking at national and international levels have been grossly inadequate (2). Though World Health Organization(3) has tried its best to frame tobacco control policy but the political and public health policies at country level to fight this menace still need to be formulated. Being health professionals, we should build consortia in order to help respective governments to reform health policies about tobacco control at a greater level. REFERENCES 1.Scott E Sherman. A framework for tobacco control: lessons learnt from Veterans Health Administration. BMJ 2008; 336: 1016-1019 2.Britton J, Edward R. Tobacco smoking, harm reduction, and nicotine product regulation. The Lancet 2008; 371:441-445. 3. WHO. WHO framework convention on tobacco control. Geneva: World Health Organisation, 2003. Competing interests: None declared