Suggestions for the creation and implementation of tobacco policy

When making policy suggestions regarding tobacco use, it is important to consider why tobacco use has proved such a difficult behavior to eradicate. The articles in this issue have identified a number of variables that we would be well served to consider when creating tobacco policy. First, tobacco use has been difficult to eradicate because of the addictive nature of nicotine. Even though many smokers wish to quit, the addictive nature of the product makes this difficult. A second variable that compounds this problem is that tobacco addiction typically begins in adolescence. The decision-making process used by adolescents that may lead to tobacco use may be particularly difficult to alter, thus making smoking initiation a difficult process in which to intervene. Finally, it is important to consider the political power of the tobacco industry and to identify promising methods of overcoming this power when creating policy. These might include innovative legal strategies and searching for compromises that can reduce tobacco use while protecting important tobacco constituencies.