Thomas R Frieden ^1* Drew E. Blakeman ¹

¹ New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tfrieden{at}health.nyc.gov.

	Abstract

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The health risks of smoking are well documented, as is the effectiveness of clinical and public health interventions to prevent and reduce smoking. However, many myths about smoking either encourage people to begin or continue smoking or deter them from quitting. Some myths stem from a misapplied understanding of what might seem to be common sense; others are deliberately promulgated by the tobacco industry to induce people - especially children - to start smoking and to keep them smoking as adults. These myths undermine tobacco control. However, comprehensive tobacco control programs that include anti-smoking public education campaigns can effectively counter these myths and prevent illness and premature death. (Am J Public Health. 2005;95:XXX- XXX. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.063073)

Key Words: Health Policy, Health Promotion, Public Health Practice, Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Control, Tobacco