NHS Lothian and ASH Scotland. price £20.00/free within Scotland

This new multilingual DVD resource on the modern usage of trans-cultural tobacco is produced by Minority Ethnic Health Inclusion Project (MEHIP) Lothian and is supported by funding from Action on Smoking and Health (Scotland) (ASH Scotland) and the Big Lottery.

It is aimed at health professionals and smokeless tobacco users alike, and was developed following several research projects which identified the need to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate resources in an effort to reduce tobacco-related harm.

The content of this DVD comprises a series of short audiovisual programmes covering a wide range of topics. These include which tobacco products are commonly used, why their usage is so prevalent and the health implications of their use. The DVD demonstrates that UK smokeless tobacco use is on the rise in parallel with an increasing ethnic minority population. Many of these products contain unknown quantities of chemicals and the packaging often does not carry any health warnings despite the well-documented link between smokeless tobacco and oral cancer.

This resource provides information on a topic that perhaps most clinicians feel was not adequately covered during their training. All information contained in the DVD is relevant to the topic, clearly presented and described in a sensitive manner. It is also conveniently available in a variety of languages. Additional resources complement the audio-visual information and they include a printable oral cancer information leaflet, again available in a range of relevant languages. A thorough glossary and a photo reference gallery are available, allowing both clinician and patient to communicate despite any potential language or cultural barriers.

To summarise, I believe this resource would be of particular use to dentists, general medical practitioners and community pharmacists. There is a need for greater awareness of how smokeless tobacco products affect oral and general health so as to provide effective oral health advice. This is an excellent resource for today's multiethnic society and may be the basis for the development of a culturally sensitive smoking cessation service.