Portal:Tobacco/Why tobacco matters

The strategies, propaganda tactics and corporate behaviors employed by the tobacco industry can give insight into the behavior of other multinational industries and corporations. To that end,TobaccoWiki seeks to increase public understanding of tobacco industry strategies to deceive the public about the health effects of smoking and secondhand smoke; delay regulation of cigarettes, influence regulation and standards in their favor;market their products more heavily in the third world, where there is less regulation; market to young people; form front groups, coalitions and fake "grassroots" groups to do the industry's bidding; leverage human emotional and psychological needs to make cigarette advertising more effective; target less-educated, low income and minority ethnic groups; alter the American judicial system to block lawsuits ("tort reform"); intimidate legislators, regulators, public health scientists and voluntary health organizations; draft and pass laws in their favor; preempt local efforts to limit indoor smoking; engineer cigarettes for addiction, and much, much more.

Like Wikipedia, the collaborative, online, free encyclopedia, Tobaccowiki is also a collaborative project. We welcome participation from everyone: students young and old, journalists, smokers and non-smokers, food service workers, public health workers, tobacco control advocates, musicians, scientists, researchers and just plain curious folks. Read more about TobaccoWiki...