The e-cigarette industry emerged as an alternative to traditional tobacco, but now it’s dominated by Big Tobacco. That’s why transnational regulations are needed for the industry.
Laurent Chambaud, École des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP)
Quit smoking, quit drinking – so many good resolutions for the New Year. But can the overabundance of messages on healthy living become counter-productive?
The tobacco industry claims that tobacco- growing is essential to the livelihoods of millions of small-scale rural farmers in Malawi, Zambia and Kenya. Research shows that’s untrue.
Years of political instability and economic mismanagement under the rule of ZANU-PF have left Zimbabwe’s financial system in chaos. The country is living on borrowed time and borrowed money.
Ronald Labonte, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
As government representatives meet at the WHO global conference on noncommunicable diseases in Uruguay this week, their focus should be on reducing the health impacts of trade deals.
Roll-your-own tobacco contains additives to stop it from drying out. So, it’s hardly a “natural” or “healthier” alternative to factory made cigarettes.
The proportion of population who use legal and illegal drugs has remained stable or trended down. Fewer young people are using, but the proportion of older people using drugs and alcohol has grown.
Karen Hofman, University of the Witwatersrand and Charles Parry, South African Medical Research Council
Under pressure to create new markets, big alcohol producers are scouring the African continent in what promises to yield negative socioeconomic consequences.