Challenges of Tobacco Control in the Balkans

Subtitle: The Case of Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. Against the backdrop of European Union regulation, Patricia Loubeau draws on the literature, field research, and interviews with policy makers to examine the issues of taxation, smuggling and agriculture in countries struggling to move forward with public health initiatives while at the same time addressing pressing economic issues. The cultural environment in the Balkans makes smoking normative and smoking is part of the social fabric and custom of these countries. Outlining the unique complexities of tobacco control, Loubeau challenges the countries to place tobacco control in its rightful place on the nation's development agenda. This story holds important insights for people everywhere who want to develop and implement tobacco control programs in developing economies. This is a rich story, engaging social questions of unemployment, culture, and the role of various interest groups in tobacco control. "Challenges of Tobacco Control in the Balkans" shows in striking detail how tobacco products and social culture play such a dominant role in so many aspects of life in Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece. This book explores possible solutions and public health policy prescriptions that could change the face of smoking in the Balkans.