Individual and population-based strategies for tobacco control .

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Abstract:

The population strategy for intervention on risk factors became known through the work of Geoffrey Rose in the field of public health and preventive medicine in relation to cardiovascular diseases in the late twentieth century. Currently, one of the risk factors with the most impact on health is the smoking epidemic. The aim of this study is to describe and put into practice the preventive medicine strategies proposed by Geoffrey Rose in the control of this smoking epidemic. To illustrate the situation, we have used the data on salivary cotinine concentration from a representative sample of the adult population in the city of Barcelona. In conclusion, public tobacco control policies worldwide should take into account the utility of the population strategy for addressing this important health issue, without ignoring "high risk" interventions of proven effectiveness.