Take a look at some of the common mis-conceptions about smoking and tobacco issues.

Governments will lose revenues if they increase cigarette taxes because people will buy fewer cigarettes

The evidence is clear: calculations show that even substantial cigarette tax increase will still reduce consumption and increase tax revenues. This is in part because the proportionate reduction in demand does not match the proportionate size in the tax increase, since addicted consumers respond relatively slowly to price rises. Furthermore, some of the money saved by quitters will be spent on other taxed goods. Historically, raising tobacco taxes, no matter how large the increase, has never once led to a decrease in cigarette tax revenues.

Tobacco control interventions are not cost-effective.

Tobacco control is highly cost-effectiove as part of a basic public health package in low and middle income countries. Measured in terms of the cost per year of healthy life saved, tax increases would cost between $5 - $17 for each year of heathly life saved depending on various assumptions. This compares favorably with many health interventions commonly financed by governments, such as child immunization.

Outdoor air pollution is as harmful as indoor secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke (or ETS) is a very serious form of indoor air pollution. In the US, secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths a year, compared to less than 100 lung cancer deaths per year from traditional forms of outdoor air pollution.

The tobacco inductry only markets to informed adults.

Smokers develop strong brand preferences and loyalty during their childhood years, and most adults continue to smoke the brand they used as adolencents. It is not only important to major cigarette companies that large numbers of children smoke but that the underage smokers choose their brands - and that cannot happen unless kids are exposed to the cigarette companies' brand advertising and other promotional efforts.

With a ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorships, sports will collapse.

"We're in the cigarette business. We're not in the sports business. We use sports as an avenue for advertising our products... We can go into an area where we're marketing an event, measure sales during the event and measure sales after the event and see an increase in sales."