Stories

An analysis of Australian news stories has exposed the media’s role in creating a moral panic about youth vaping. The resulting outrage and distorted public opinion leads to knee-jerk, heavy-handed responses by regulators, without considering the unintended consequences or alternative options.

In reviewing media stories over a 6-month period, the researchers from the University of Queensland found that media reports were often sensationalised and inflammatory.

Last week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) exercised its authority to remove tobacco products from the market for the first time ever. "It's a big deal," Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told The New York Times. Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, called the order "historic" and says it demonstrates "the role and power of regulation." Countless news articles reported the ruling and noted its significance.

In the early 2000s, Sweden had and adopted the concepts and ideals behind Tobacco Harm Reduction when it introduced Snus, a smokeless tobacco product that has since become a national phenomenon. Snus is placed under the upper lip and does not require smoking. Its popularity in Sweden has contributed to a significant public health triumph. Today, over 20% of Swedish men (…)

A recent research study conducted by experts at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade revealed that the majority of heated tobacco product users were previously smokers of traditional cigarettes before switching to newer products that heat tobacco instead of burning it.

Thailand will regulate cannabis for medicinal use instead of re-listing the plant as a narcotic, the deputy prime minister said on Tuesday, in the government's U-turn on its previous policy. Prime minister Srettha Thavisin had vowed to make cannabis illegal by the end of 2024, just two years after Thailand became one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalise marijuana.