Main description:

Governments have known since the 1960s that smoking results in irreversible health damage. This open access book examines why governments have done so little to combat this when they have been aware of the problem and its solutions for decades. What are the strategies and decisions that make a difference, given that policy environments are often not conducive to change? Taking the Netherlands as an example, this book helps to understand the complex policy process at the national level and why it so often appears irrational to us. It is the most sophisticated analysis of tobacco control policy to date, applying insights from political sciences to the field of tobacco control.

Contents:

List of FiguresList of TablesList of AbbreviationsPrefaceChapter 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Dutch tobacco control policy from the 1950s to the presentChapter 3 The tempo of Dutch tobacco control policyChapter 4 The national policy environmentChapter 5 Making tobacco control policy work: rules of the gameChapter 6 The international context: EU and WHOChapter 7 Scientific evidence and policy learningChapter 8 Tobacco industry influenceChapter 9 The tobacco control coalitionChapter 10 Problem identification and agenda settingChapter 11 ConclusionsReferencesIndex