Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager:   Neglecting that “red-headed stepchild” has historically proved itself as unwise. Tobacco dependence treatment, often referred to as "cessation," is just such a red-headed stepchild. Simon Chapman, PhD, from the School of Public Health in Sydney, Australia, is attending the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Mumbai, India, as are nearly 3,000 others who work in Tobacco Control. Consistent with his history of taking controversial stands, h... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager:   In the United States we have a group of individuals who are trained experts at saving lives.  These experts treat the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, one that results in ten times the annual deaths from all the illegal drugs combined (nearly a half million Americans a year!).  Yet relatively few know of their existence. These experts are Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTS).  Most are not highly educated physicians, but when ... [More]

Sean Bell, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development:   June 19’s news on the brouhaha out of DC around the Veterans' Administration (VA) not providing adequate information to test subjects around the potential side effects of Chantix was a sad reminder of the larger issue around veterans and tobacco use in general.   For those of you not following the story, ABC News and the Washington Times reported that the VA did not adequately inform veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ... [More]