This textbook is dry and not for a general audience, but I do think people should be much more aware of tobacco policy, because the same framework that was used to lower smoking rates have crept into other aspects of health policy “for our own good”.

This book was not really about the health consequences of tobacco (it uses the same surprisingly few studies that form the bedrock of tobacco control). The book focuses on addiction, youth smoking rates and perception of harm.

I find the psychology of smoking much more interesting than the health part, and so this book had a lot to dig into.

Though I agree with the book in general about youth not being able to make rational choices about the future, about them not appreciating addiction, etc., I strongly disagree that the answer is yet more government involvement. There is much too much to say on this than can fit into this caption.

I’ve been reading every tobacco book I can find so I can write my own book on it in due time.

I don’t recommend this book unless you are deeply interested in tobacco policy, but I think the book did a fine job overall. It took its time to make its points, was well presented as a narrative and so it was a rarely good textbook.