Предисловие
A book about tobacco for those quitting smoking and nonsmokers
Tobacco use is so deeply entrenched in our lives, it feels trivial and hardly
deserves to be described in a magazine article, much less a book. For some, it’s
like reading about pencils or doorknobs. Since the majority of us believe that
we are “aware” of tobacco hazards, why do we need books on the subject?
Unfortunately, our “awareness” is far from being satisfactory. Ask an average
classroom of 7th graders to write an essay on the dangers of smoking. The
majority of teens would rather be asked to take a math test. Ask young smoking
parents of an asthmatic baby what represents the first step in effectively
managing childhood asthma. Most likely, they will simply ignore the dangers of
secondhand smoke and its effects on their child. Ask a smoker, who has attempted
and failed to quit multiple times, how to cope with smoking temptations. Likely
this individual will lack the necessary knowledge and skills to guide him or her
in their quest to quit smoking. Finally, ask a young female smoker why she chose
“light” cigarettes instead of the “regulars.” You will be told that these
cigarettes are safer and less likely to cause cancer. The bottomline is, both
smokers and nonsmokers tend to be underinformed, ignorant, and misguided about
tobacco products, their use, and effective ways to become or stay tobacco-free.
The answers to these and other relevant questions may be found in this book.
The authors of this book, Konstantin Krasovsky and Tatiana Andreeva are
internationally recognized tobacco control experts. They have been outstandingly
prolific in their writing and publishing of materials that summarize diverse and
multilingual international tobacco control information. Over the past few years,
Krasovsky and Andreeva produced a large volume of tobacco-related materials—brochures,
pamphlets, and books—for various segments of the population. Widely recognized
as passionate and dedicated advocates of a tobacco-free society, their
organization (Alcohol and Drug Information Center) is one of the largest
clearinghouses serving the countries of the former Soviet Union. Their Internet
site (http://www.adic.org.ua/nosmoking) is a popular Russian-language resource for
those interested in tobacco-related issues. This book, which introduces the
largest and most complete body of evidence compiled by these authors, will be of
interest to many readers regardless of their smoking status.
If you are a parent who is concerned about your teenage child being
increasingly interested in cigarettes, this book is for you and for the child.
If you are a long-time, addicted smoker who wants to quit, you may discover
important clues on how to accomplish this difficult task successfully. Even if
you are a nonsmoker, no one in your social circle smokes, you can still find
relevant information on second-hand smoking and health. Increasingly, the entire
world is recognizing the huge health and economic burden of tobacco use. As a
result, we all are slowly but surely moving towards a tobacco-free society. Read
this book and be prepared.
Professor Alexander V. Prokhorov
The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, USA
