Public health
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To explore the role of evidence in the public health policy-making process, and show how the way in which public health problems are defined and measured influences policy outcomes. ⋯ This case study offers some insight into the ways in which the production and presentation of evidence can influence and shape governmental responses to public health problems. The usefulness of available evidence is dependent upon the type of data that is produced routinely by government, as well as more deliberate decisions concerning public health research funding. Researchers can maximize the influence of research evidence on the policy process by engaging in the policy-making process, presenting research in ways that fit with the political context of the day, and, where necessary, using research evidence in public health advocacy in order to influence political priorities more directly.
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This article reflects on the successful introduction of tobacco control legislation in Scotland. It locates the need for such an approach within the broader context of Scotland's poor smoking-related health record, and traces the development of policy thinking from initial scepticism and caution to later widespread endorsement and effective introduction. The considerable benefits achieved in terms of air quality improvement, avoidance of adverse health outcomes and broader policy empowerment are described. The importance of learning from other administrations, and political and professional leadership are described.