Researchers, scientists, medical practitioners and smoking cessation workers are often mystified by policy processes, government priorities and seemingly perverse tangents pursued (or ignored) by politicians in relation to tobacco control.

Discussion:

Politicians are peculiar animals that require study in order to understand their motivations and way of thinking. We can learn from political scientists about how to relate to them. In order to achieve change in tobacco control it is important that advocates and researchers have a basic idea about how to deal with these eccentric creatures.

Logic and science may not be convincing to a politician when faced by lobbying from voters. The experiences of one angry constituent relayed passionately to a politician at a country fair, may be valued to him/her as equally important as thirty scientific studies arguing the opposite view.

Many of us are astonished at the success of hospitality organisations or retailer organisations backed by the tobacco industry, in thwarting what are proven medically and economically evaluated measures to protect the public health.

Conclusion:

Scientific studies that indicate a clear “quotable” public policy directive in the abstract and conclusion are more likely to be taken up by policy-makers and politicians.

This presentation will give some clues as to how advocates and researchers interested in outcomes, can manage the translation of evidence into policy, then implementation and action.