Junking science to promote tobacco

Despite the tobacco industry's claims that it has changed its practices, th e toll of tobacco-related disease and death continues to grow worldwide, an d the industry continues to use a vast array of strategies to promote its p roducts and increase profits. This commentary discusses the ways the tobacc o industry has created controversy about risk assessment and about the scie ntific evidence of the health hazards of secondhand smoke. The authors recommend that policymakers be more vigilant and that they dema nd transparency about affiliations and linkages between allegedly independe nt scientists and tobacco companies. They also urge policymakers to be prep ared for new and continuing challenges posed by the tobacco industry, becau se, despite the industry's claims, there is little evidence of fundamental change in its objectives.