Traditionally marketed to women, banning menthol tobacco flavouring would make a moderate impact on smoking harms. Australia is behind many other countries.
How can we help pregnant women quit smoking, for their health and that of their unborn child, when substitutes and other methods seem less effective during this period?
There are three pathways through which parental smoking has an effect on children’s academic, social and emotional skills. They include health effects of second-hand smoke, and family income.
Three tobacco-flavored cartridges and a vaping device have been approved by the FDA for sale in the US. It comes after a decadelong debate over e-cigarettes.
From October 1, Australians will only be able to buy e-cigarettes containing nicotine if they have a prescription from a doctor. But there’s another evidence-based way to help more smokers quit.
Vaping is changing how smoking is depicted on our television and cinema screens. Where once cigarettes were portrayed as glamorous, vaping is linked with stress and struggle.
Despite being widely viewed as a safer alternative to tobacco, e-cigarettes aren’t harmless, especially to adolescents. But social media is rife with glossy content that makes vaping look fun and cool.
Public health recommendations have always been a hard sell. Resistance to new behaviors – like the mask-wearing and social distancing advised during the COVID-19 pandemic – is part of human nature.