Providing free #e-bikes with training and social support helps people keep riding and improves their physical and mental health, supporting the case for wider access to grow active transport in Aotearoa New Zealand. 🚲⚡ www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fun...

Evidence from international and local research shows health-based approaches to drug policy achieve better outcomes than punitive models and do not increase overall drug use when properly implemented. Watch Dr Rose Crossin on @nzherald.bsky.social LIVE www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/should-re...

Over five decades NZ’s drug laws have coincided with increased drug availability, falling prices and rising indicators of harm. Jacek Kolodziej and co-authors call on politicians to work across party lines to replace the outdated Misuse of Drugs Act. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/saf...

Protection for NZ’s drinking water sources will be significantly weakened under the proposed replacement of the RMA. 🚱 www.phcc.org.nz/news/media-r...

Sunburn remains particularly common among young adults in NZ, with most 18–24-year-olds reporting at least one sunburn and many experiencing multiple or severe sunburns in a single summer. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/hig...

New analysis shows the Global Health Security (GHS) Index predicted Covid-19 mortality for non-island jurisdictions, but not for island nations. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/glo...

Urban cycleways deliver well-documented safety, health, environmental and economic benefits. Evidence from NZ and overseas shows active transport investments often return benefits that far exceed their costs. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pub...

A national survey of 1000+ New Zealanders found more support than opposition for increased investment in urban cycleways (41% vs 35%), with 24% neutral. #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pub...

Asbestos in children’s play sand is a first for NZ and the health risk is still unclear. Experts say exposed children need long-term monitoring. #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/asb...

Alcohol is involved in 46% of male-perpetrated intimate partner homicides. Reducing availability is an evidence-based way to prevent violent victimisation. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/sea...

Alcohol plays a major role in violence against women in Aotearoa, contributing to more than half of physical and sexual assaults and a third of family violence cases. Gender-responsive alcohol harm reduction is needed to support safer environments. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/sea...

NZ Health Survey shows more than 500,000 daily vapers with persistent inequities by age and deprivation. More evaluation and enforcement of recent regulatory changes is needed. @predwards.bsky.social www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/vap...

Worried about how big $$ influences alcohol policy? You should be. Check out our briefing @phcc.bsky.social today that shows: ▶️ alcohol more harmful than we thought ▶️ low-risk advice needs to be reviewed ▶️ #BigAlcohol lobbying is influencing our policy makers

Over half a million New Zealanders were vaping daily in 2024–25, and vaping remained highest among young people, Māori, Pacific peoples, and those in more deprived areas. @predwards.bsky.social www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/vap...

Aotearoa NZ’s low-risk drinking advice has not been updated since 2011. Researchers say the current review must be protected from vested interests to ensure it reflects current evidence. #alcoholawareness www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/rec...

Researchers warn New Zealand’s review of its low-risk drinking advice is vulnerable to alcohol industry influence. Strong safeguards are needed to ensure the process reflects independent evidence. #alcoholawareness www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/rec...

Smoking quit rates stall in NZ. @janethoek.bsky.social @predwards.bsky.social #PublicHealth #TobaccoControl www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/smo...

Most NZ teens start social media between ages 10 and 13, a period critical for brain development and emotional regulation. #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pro...

Nearly 1 in 4 NZ teens meet criteria for problematic social media use and over a third fall into a risky category according to new survey. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pro...

"Will this government listen? Will they realise we are killing too many people at work, and making too many people sick because of work, and it's costing us $5.5 billion a year." omny.fm/shows/the-fr...

Diet-related disease is rising in NZ and the food system plays a major role. The Briefing sets out how better policy settings could create healthier food environments. #foodsystems www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/ref...

NZ produces high-quality food yet many households still struggle to afford healthy options. This Briefing examines how trade-driven settings shape our diets and what systemic changes could strengthen food security. #foodsecurity www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/ref...

"We should follow ...other countries to better protect the lives and wellbeing of our workers and also boost productivity. We owe the 29 Pike River miners this much." www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fif...

“No-one can be assured that they are protected in their workplace. I know how hard it is to lose a loved one – no-one should be killed in their workplace.” @stuff.co.nz www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

15 years on from Pike River, NZ still records 2x the workplace deaths of Australia and 4x the UK per capita. System-level reform in workplace health and safety is needed. #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/fif...

NZ’s ranking for protection from tobacco industry interference has fallen dramatically from 2nd to 53rd in global ranking, with repealed smokefree laws and a tax cut for heated tobacco products noted as key factors. @janethoek.bsky.social tinyurl.com/yfek4fwm

"If there is a coherent throughline to the totality of the Government’s climate policies, it can only be a willingness to increase New Zealand’s contribution to global warming." newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...

New research shows people entering public housing in Aotearoa #NZ have far higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, highlighting the importance of maintaining and expanding public housing. #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/pub...

New research finds that people entering public housing in Aotearoa have far higher levels of need than those receiving the Accommodation Supplement, contrary to govt-commissioned report. tinyurl.com/uy8h4x3h

New research shows exclusion/elimination strategies achieved the lowest Covid-19 mortality internationally, with no consistent evidence of economic disadvantage. #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/gre...

Two in three New Zealanders will develop skin cancer. Prevention works, but only if it’s funded. The Briefing calls for stronger UVR protection across schools, workplaces, sports, and councils. @NZCancerSo #SunSafety #PublicHealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/aot...

Skin cancer is NZ’s most common and preventable cancer costing $450m a year. Yet government prevention funding is just $300k, one quarter of what it was 20 years ago. Time to make sun safety a public health priority. @NZCancerSo #PublicHealth #skincancer www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/aot...

Dr Liz Gordon, from Communities Against Alcohol Harm, said this was the "biggest number ever" to oppose a licence, and the local community would be "relieved and delighted" at the decision. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Restrictive rental rules can stop people from sharing rent, caring for whānau, or supporting friends in need. Tenancy laws should protect people, not just property. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/how...

"One woman with breast cancer was unable to take on another tenant to share rent costs, despite being the only tenant in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home." www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

New research shows landlords often set restrictive limits on how many people can live in a rental home, sometimes forcing families apart. These rules protect property, not people. It’s time tenancy law caught up. @universityofotago.bsky.social www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/how...

The health effects of climate change are unevenly distributed. Communities with fewer resources face higher risks and fewer protections. Policy responses in Aotearoa must prioritise equity. #climateaction #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/cli...

Climate change is a threat to public health. Transformational change is needed in Aotearoa across energy, transport, housing, and agriculture to protect health and reduce inequities. #climateaction #publichealth www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/cli...

97% of young people in Aotearoa go online several times a day or almost constantly, and many say they feel “addicted” to platforms that keep them online while profiting from their data. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/alm...

"Nine hours, thirty-two minutes on my phone in one day. They just get more data to make my ads more personal." — Sarah, 18. Social media platforms profit from keeping youth hooked and selling their data. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/alm...

"I get a lot of beer ads on my Instagram… vaping and tobacco as well. It was almost inescapable." John, 17, Māori. Young people say harmful marketing is everywhere online, targeting them daily. #DigitalHarm www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/alm...

“The stench invades everything.” Foul odours in some NZ towns have lasted for years, causing stress & sickness. Our latest Briefing says public health services must step up for affected communities and regulations should be tightened. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/mor...

Persistent foul odours are often treated as “just an annoyance.” But they can harm health. Dr Jonathan Jarman highlights gaps in NZ’s current system & calls for stronger public health leadership. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/mor...

⚠️ ECan declares a ‘Nitrate Emergency’ over rising drinking water contamination. Dr Tim Chambers & co-authors warn more action is needed from local & central government to keep Kiwis safe. 💧🥛 www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/eca...

Most Kiwis support government action on catastrophic risks — from nuclear conflict to pandemics and runaway AI. Yet NZ remains underprepared, with gaps in energy and food security. #Resilience #RiskPreparedness www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/maj...

Aotearoa needs stronger gun controls and targeted prevention to keep suicide rates falling and reverse the rise in firearm assault.

The Government cannot afford to ignore the Public Health Advisory Committee’s new report, which lays out a roadmap for improving health and equity in Aotearoa New Zealand. Leading public health experts urge the Government to act on its recommendations. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/cho...

Poor indoor air costs NZ around $1 billion a year in healthcare and lost productivity. Investing in clean air is good for health and the economy. #indoorairquality www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/inv...

Strong public health outcomes depend on councils having the resources to act. Funding reform for local government is a national priority. #localelectionsnz www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/loc...