Bixonimania looks like a great concept - will ask Dr Olivia Doll for her advice.

The government's farcical half-pregnant #gambling advertising reforms are destined for the scrapheap. simonchapman6.com/2026/04/09/f... @docsamantha.bsky.social @mon4kooyong.bsky.social @sarahhansonyoung.bsky.social @andrewwilkiemp.bsky.social @davidpocock.bsky.social @zalisteggall.bsky.social

Latest News: ENDS use is significantly associated with increased risk of tobacco smoking initiation among non-smokers, particularly adolescents, supporting the gateway hypothesis. https://bit.ly/4rXIn3X

Labor’s plan to restrict gambling ads set to reduce wagering by just 0.8%, government analysis shows www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

#TobRegSky #PedSky #MedSky #Pulmsky #EpiSky #addictionsci #policysky #polisky #neuroskyence #neurosci 🛟 🫁💊🧪 🌍⚖️ The carcinogenicity of e-cigarettes: a qualitative risk assessment

Good analysis and comments from David Pocock who, along with some other MPs, has consistently argued for evidence-based policies that won't please the gambling industry, but will make a difference to the harms their products cause.

Those delightful people in the ecigarette industry have developed a potential entirely synthetic nicotine analogue not derived from nicotine to allow them to evade any regs on nicotine & describe ecigs as nicotine free. Whatever it takes .... www.at-schweiz.ch/en/at-blog/6...

Good summary and comments on half-hearted measures. Partial restrictions get partial and very limited results – and decades of experience in other areas tell us that they simply challenge harmful industries to find new ways of targeting young people and vulnerable groups.

And do we really need one of the world's most lethal companies to inform us that Boris Johnson prefers cornflakes to Weetabix? How much does this kind of garbage cost them?

Good comments. BAT must be getting desperate if they are reduced to this kind of tripe.

Asked on ABC radio if smuggled illegal cigs worse for health than "proper" cigs, a perennial BigTobacco talking point.The latter kill 2 in 3 long term users,(theconversation.com/smoking-new-...) so if illegals "worse", a bit like being worried in hell that temperature will be turned up 1-2 degrees.

The stakes are high. In Bangladesh, tobacco continues to harm families, strain health systems, and create long-term economic burdens. Strong, well-implemented policies can change that trajectory.

Overnight success takes time - but so good to see this strong public support for public health measures long opposed by harmful industries. Well done to all involved.

Good summary, good paper. 76 years on from Doll & Hill and Wynder & Graham, does anyone really believe that tobacco companies are not doing everything they can to promote sales of their lethal core products?

Important speech by Minister Julian Hill. This is the Commonwealth Government seeking to do the right things in the right way to confront the illicit tobacco trade and should be complemented by action from all states and territories.

Good (albeit disturbing) paper reinforcing concerns about absence of controls on harmful industries targeting youth through social media.

Important issue that merits further attention.

So true!!!

Yet more reason to be sceptical about tobacco industry-friendly polls and reporting.

January Issue: Marketing for Sensa: a ‘zero nicotine vapor product from a major tobacco company. https://bit.ly/3MC48rf

Formula 1 shouldn’t be a vehicle for promoting harmful and addictive tobacco products to kids. As the sport works to expand its young fanbase, tobacco companies are sponsoring F1 cars and drivers to market nicotine pouches to millions of young people around the world.

January Issue: Marketing strategies in business-to-business advertisements for oral nicotine products. https://bit.ly/4aUU1Hq

Yup.

More evidence on how the industry preys on the most vulnerable-"Boost mode" provided on new e-cig brands: 55.1% of participants had a device with boost mode. Those with boost mode were younger, had lower SES status, vaped more frequently/were more dependent. tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/earl...

1665 - a week in London of causes of dearth. Plague very big that week. Significant number of Griping in the Guts.

Recreational drugs can more than double risk of stroke, study suggests

So good to see George Young still actively supporting action on smoking. One of the real heroes of tobacco control since the 1970s.

Excellent and enjoyable article. Will probably stay with morning dog-walking rather than being carried in a chair around the city by slaves, but will keep an eye on Medicare options.

A player rushed to save a seagull after it was whacked by a soccer ball, performing CPR to revive the bird.

Excellent and well-researched article. So important to ensure full disclosure of tobacco industry and related interests.

Should be amazing - but sadly, not surprising.

Absolutely. Complete shambles causing considerable (and totally needless) disruption and distress. I can't recall a worse governmental process and communications failure.

So right. Shambolic process. Rushed implementation, belated then minimal information and no access to adequate information sources. AI responses that don’t answer questions and misinform. Distressing need to change travel plans, bypassing UK days. Bizarre discrimination against people born in UK.

Good comments from Kate Chaney.

Our research shows that although 90% of people in HNY know that smoking causes cancer, awareness of other smoking-related harms like pregnancy complications and dementia is low. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a landmark piece of legislation which will phase out tobacco for the next generation.

The WA Gov's action on illicit tobacco a welcome step. We’re pleased the gov heard the collective voices of the tobacco control community. We hope once it's passed by parliament, the amended legislation will continue WA’s long tradition of being a leader in tobacco control. shorturl.at/RqnO7

Interesting Lancet paper and commentary. Yet another building block in the case for much greater focus on prevention.

Interesting paper highlighting important issues around how prevention campaigns should be developed and run in fast-changing modern media environment.

Latest from NSW Health on illegal cig/vape shop closures & seizures

Australian Border Force now intercepting industrial levels of illicit tobacco & vapes. This www.abf.gov.au/newsroom-sub...

New SARG research published in @addictionjournal.bsky.social this week led by @damonm1989.bsky.social has found that public health policies which reduce spending on harmful products can actually provide a significant boost to UK jobs and the wider economy. #PublicHealth #HealthEconomics #UKEconomy

“Protecting academic freedom, integrity, and the right to question those in positions of authority and power (including within the academic and health systems in which we work) is not ancillary to public health, but central to its purpose.” @healthpromint.bsky.social academic.oup.com/heapro/artic...

Preventive health is important, just not when it comes to alcohol intouchpublichealth.net.au/preventive-h...

Excellent. Thanks to OUP for making this happen.

Yet in the UK, JTI have been advocating for this policy in opposition to the smokefree generation … shorturl.at/lMpps

Excellent work!

Encouraging news that VicHealth’s future may be secure. When will governments understand that saving lives and healthcare costs comes from spending more, not less on prevention – even if the results don’t all come through before the next election?

Good paper, showing here, as in other areas, the need for comprehensive approaches to marketing curbs rather than the partial measures predatory industries and their allies promote.