“As always, the question arises as to what they have to hide.” Organizers' “worst-case scenario is to have people who have benefited from tobacco harm reduction telling their stories." As COP11 looks to exclude pro-THR voices, advocates fear the policy outcomes, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

Study suggests vapes are "increasingly acting as a ‘gateway’ for children,” the Guardian claimed, “undermining falling rates of teen smoking.” It doesn't show that, Dr. Arielle Selya tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social, and the researchers' interpretation exhibits "confirmation bias":

I’m doing this next month: howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/lo...

Demand persists and many retailers still sell disposable vapes—reflecting what advocates say was always an ill-conceived ban. "Introducing policies without working out the tangible impacts screams of lip service," one consumer tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

Women's mass switching to nicotine pouches in recent years (when tobacco snus uptake was always higher among men) is accelerating Sweden's world-leading "smoke-free" progress. "But why have pouches been so much more of a game-changer for Swedish women than snus?" asks @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

"To have the best chance of widely replacing cigarettes, a safer alternative needs to match, or preferably surpass, that pleasure. Most people greatly prefer sweet or fruity vapes to their tobacco-flavored or flavorless counterparts." @kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports on the US landscape:

"Should the new law pass, vaping will be very visibly placed on a par with smoking," reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It also seems inevitable that the burden of fines and escalated fines would fall disproportionately on lower-income people."

I have no idea what is happening here but it is the best thing I’ve seen today!

My new column: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/views/lives/...

Significantly improved fitness levels among people who switched to vapes or heated tobacco products were measured after just four weeks—comparable, one of the researchers tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social, to improvements seen in prior studies of total nicotine cessation:

She had COPD, had lost a lung and hadn't been able to quit smoking. Yet a respiratory specialist told her “under no circumstance” to try vapes. It's the kind of thing that happens when vital voices are excluded, #GFN25 speakers agree. @kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:

The first time Charlie Chaplin used his voice in a film, he wielded it to forcefully condemn the rising forces of fascism around the globe. Will we listen to his words today?

Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association will end its active advocacy in August due to lack of funds. By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

Global hostility reflects "fear, ignorance or vested interests,” said Chilean advocate Ignacio Leiva. “Stay informed and always respond with truth, dignity and real people’s stories—that’s how we shift the narrative.” @kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:

#booksky #writingcommunity

When I moved to rural Wales from London, people assumed I was swapping a big life for a small one. But living here has challenged my idea of what a big life really is, writes Kiran Sidhu. www.prospectmagazine...

“Such dramatic claims require substantial evidence, which the Glantz et al. study failed to provide.” Two new papers describe damning problems with a study, published in the NEJM, that indicated similar harms from vaping and smoking. @kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:

When I moved to rural Wales from London, people assumed I was swapping a big life for a small one. But living here has challenged my idea of what a big life really is, writes Kiran Sidhu. www.prospectmagazine...

Kiran Sidhu argues that, in moving from the city to the country, she hasn’t “swapped a big life for a small one... Nature’s place in my life has simply become more prominent.” www.prospectmagazine...

Vaping risks are "comparable to, or even greater than smoking," said the EU health commissioner—citing the "popcorn lung" myth to support this falsehood. Fearing his influence on lawmakers, advocates urge him to meet with experts, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

"It would be much more right to support ppl in reducing harms in their lives rather than saying it’s all or nothing—either you stop or we don’t do anything for you." @kiransidhu41.bsky.social puts tobacco harm reduction questions to global health and philosophy lecturer Dr. Sridhar Venkatapuram:

The ban kicks in next month. Experts tell @kiransidhu41.bsky.social that it will swell the large unregulated market, and could see many people resume smoking. “They are creating a Russian doll of absurdities, which will not end well,” says one of the government:

"The loss of my loved ones ... only strengthened my resolve." Leading South African advocate Kurt Yeo tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social about the harm reduction mismatch in his country, how smoking cessation has become a "luxury" there, and why he sees nicotine pouches as a big potental solution:

We only become fully aware of time when we realise we have so little of it. And then it’s nearly always too late. Time is the Houdini of the metaphysical world; it escapes through the back door of our lives, although we never really felt it enter..

I moved to the countryside in search of harmony. But the bustle of museums and galleries still appeals, writes Kiran Sidhu. www.prospectmagazine...

"We’re worlds apart. She reads the Daily Mail. I do my best to avoid it. One issue really sends us into our separate corners: Sarah is vehemently against vapes." "I wanted to learn more about her views, why she holds them and what it might take to change her mind." By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

Simnel cake and hot cross buns 😍 Happy Easter! www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

I had a party and it’s made me think that if you get a chance to have one. You should.

“These stories appeared intentionally slanted against ASH NZ and the broadcaster persisted with that narrative despite having information to the contrary,” the ruling stated. It reflects wider smears against tobacco harm reduction advocates, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:

Existentialism and a meaningful life - by Robert Zaretsky www.templeton.org/news/what-ex...

“This small stone building from the 13th century is emblematic of something essential to the human experience: solitude bound by togetherness”, writes Kiran Sidhu. www.prospectmagazine...