Prof Gerard Hastings

Finding new ways to reduce smoking

Professor Gerard Hastings is the Director of the Institute for Social Marketing and the Cancer Research UK Centre for Tobacco Control Research. His team is looking into the ways the tobacco industry encourages people to smoke and also how other social pressures affect smoking habits.

Researchers at the Centre are studying how the tobacco industry markets their products. Through detailed research, they hope to find effective ways to counter tobacco advertising and promote health messages.

One of their ongoing projects is a study called 'Monitor of the Tobacco Advertising Ban', which is assessing the impact of the UK ban on tobacco promotion introduced in February 2003.

Researchers have already carried out 4 surveys between 1999 and 2006 to record any changes in the attitudes and smoking behaviour of 11-15 year olds during this period. In July 2006, Professor Hastings and his colleagues presented results indicating the success of the advertising ban at the 13th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.

Professor Hastings is also evaluating policies to control tobacco use, such as anti-smoking legislation, to identify the ones that are most effective at reducing smoking.

Professor Hastings is recognised as a world expert in his field and has acted as an advisor to the World Health Organisation on tobacco and alcohol marketing, and as a Special Advisor to the House of Commons Health Select Committee on tobacco and food advertising.