Contents
his book was compiled following the debates and deliberations
of the Smokefree Europe conference, held in Helsinki in the autumn
of 1996. Our aim has been to go beyond the proceedings of that
meeting and look at some of the issues it raised, while drawing
on the many contributions from various participants, either by
reflecting the span of research they deal with or by presenting
their campaigns and work in greater detail.
Clearly, health promoters have their work cut out for them in acting on the tobacco epidemic. In doing so they have to pursue the implications of what they are dealing with through constant re-examination, not least because past practice is continually outdistanced by fresh information and changing cultural sensibilities.
We are overwhelmed by information about tobacco consumption, the tricks and ploys of the industry and the many activities devoted to smoke-free environments. We have tried, therefore, to take a broad approach in putting this book together and draw eclectically on a range of sources and interrelated themes. These cannot cover all the topics dealt with by the Smokefree Europe forum, but we hope that we have touched on key areas of interest variously and informatively, and in ways that prove useful for people concerned with smoke-free strategies. In addition, Dr Harri Vertio has approached these issues by reflecting on basic concepts of health promotion theory in those chapters dealing with discursive problems concerning tobacco.
Mark Waller and Satu Lipponen