Using stigma as a public health tool in the prevention of smoking
“In recent years, addictions policy has stressed the need to counteract stigmatization in order to promote public health. However, through tobacco ‘denormal-ization’ strategies, tobacco control advocates appear to have embraced the use of stigma as an explicit policy tool.”
So says a recent research article authored by the University of British Columbia’s Kirsten Bell and others. The paper argues that smokers have been stigmatized by current tobacco policies, with a number of potentially negative impacts.
We speak with Kirsten Bell, a research associate with U.B.C. and lead author of the article, about the research.
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