Tobacco use is one of the most preventable causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide2. Implementing a successful anti-tobacco campaign is often extremely problematic, though. Aside from the obvious difficulty of persuading people to give up an addictive habit that they frequently enjoy, tobacco companies and their lobbyists always staunchly oppose such measures and do everything in their power to prevent governments from getting involved and passing tobacco use reduction legislation.
Poland has been an unusual success story in the fight against tobacco use. While in the late 1980′s it held the dubious title of most cigarette-addicted nation7, now the country’s legislation for tobacco control is considered one of the world’s most progressive1. Poland is in many ways a good case study for any nation looking to formulate its own tobacco control program. The country’s history, struggles and achievements are all worth investigating to discover common threads that might work elsewhere. [...]
