The Transatlantic Conference on Tobacco (TACT): a model for international tobacco policy activism.
BACKGROUND
Smoking prevalence rates are alarmingly high in developing countries at a time when the United States and the United Kingdom are mobilizing domestic anti-smoking forces. A resident at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center established an American-British partnership to promote international tobacco policy activism.


METHODS
The program assembled a coalition of physicians and public health experts from the two countries and provided them with an Internet-based chat resource.


RESULTS
The coalition utilized Internet resources to follow international trends in tobacco use policies and agreed to meet bimonthly through the site to promote anti-smoking activism.


CONCLUSIONS
This report introduces a novel approach to international anti-tobacco policy activism. It provides a model that is transportable to other institutions and other public health measures.
David
S P
SP
New Hampshire-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, USA.
D006266:Health Education; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D020407:Internet; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States