This is consistent with the recommendations of the Partial Guidelines. This paper is concerned with the development of a research agenda that can help regulators move the market toward the least harmful possible tobacco products, starting with the products that are currently selleck chemicals EPZ-5676 on the market in any given country. Any effort to regulate tobacco products also needs to be cognizant of the potential for consumers to misconstrue regulation of tobacco products as meaning that the regulation has resulted in greatly reducing the harms (when at most, it will only reduce them a small amount), and thus counteracting the public health message to avoid tobacco use altogether. Tobacco product avoidance (never using or cessation) is the only sure way to prevent the harm caused by tobacco use.

Thus, product regulation represents an effort to mitigate the harm caused by tobacco products in those who continue to use tobacco. Product regulation needs to occur within a framework that does not seriously interfere with societal efforts to reduce tobacco use. With any normal consumer item any regulator would require to know the following: What is in it? What gets into the body as a result of its use? What are the consequences of those exposures? The first problem with tobacco is that we also have to consider the following: 1. What is in the primary product, for example, the cigarette versus other tobacco, smoked versus smokeless tobacco 2. What is in the smoke (combustion products only) 3. What is absorbed into the body��all products 4.

How much of this is harmful or addictive and increases attractiveness With combusted products, regulation must consider the smoke. Cigarettes are the dominant form of tobacco use, and with other combusted forms such as cigar and pipe smoking, the product that is consumed is the smoke from burning the tobacco. Tobacco smoke consists of a whole range of new carcinogens and toxins created by partial pyrolysis, as well as some that were originally in the tobacco. Smoked tobacco products are not products that could be regulated by simply approving ingredients because smoke is the result of interactions between the tobacco when burnt and any additives or contaminants that are present, plus any other chemicals that are formed by the combustion of the additives.

The challenge of regulation comes down Batimastat to one of reducing harmfulness, and as harmfulness is related to amount and duration of use, this must include reducing addictiveness and other modifiable factors that potentially increase or prolong usage at a personal and population level. Given the huge variation in the harmfulness of currently available products, there also needs to be consideration of what is an acceptable level of harm. This is not a scientific question, but it can be informed by science. As we see it, there are three major regulatory possibilities, each requiring a research agenda to assess viability and possible mechanisms.