The National Health Service (NHS) in England is set to provide an improved stop smoking pill, varenicline, to tens of thousands of individuals seeking to quit cigarettes. According to NHS England, this daily tablet, administered over several months, is as effective as vapes and more effective than nicotine replacement options like gum or patches.
Read moreAs of October 1, 2015, new legislation in England and Wales makes it illegal to smoke in a vehicle carrying someone under the age of 18. The law also requires drivers to prevent smoking in these circumstances, with both offenses carrying a £50 fine. This landmark change aims to protect children and young people from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, which can lead to serious health conditions such as meningitis, cancer, bronchitis, pneumonia, and exacerbated asthma.
Read moreupdated April 23, 2024
Newton Follows Brookline’s Lead in Proposing Ban
Newton, a Boston suburb with a population of around 90,000, is considering implementing a generational tobacco ban that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after 2003. This proposal comes on the heels of a similar ban in Brookline, Massachusetts, which was upheld by the state’s Supreme Judicial Court in March 2024.
Read moreA team of scientists, including a University of Massachusetts Amherst public health researcher, has conducted a major review of evidence and identified the three most effective strategies for quitting smoking: varenicline, cytisine, and nicotine e-cigarettes. The review, published in the journal Addiction on September 4, was led by the non-profit Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG) and authored by senior author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, assistant professor of health policy and management at the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, and lead author Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, a University of Oxford researcher in England. Read more
A landmark clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that e-cigarettes are just as effective as varenicline, the gold-standard pharmaceutical drug, in helping people quit smoking. The study, conducted by researchers at Lapland Central Hospital in Finland, has the potential to reshape the debate surrounding the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
Read moreExposing children to secondhand smoke is a dangerous practice, yet many parents and adults continue to light up in vehicles with young passengers present. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, which can lead to both short- and long-term health risks in children.
Read moreSmokers in Minneapolis will face some of the highest cigarette prices in the United States after the City Council unanimously voted to set a minimum retail price of $15 per pack. This move aims to promote public health by discouraging smoking, particularly among youth.
Read moreCanada has made history by becoming the first country to require individual health warnings on cigarettes. The groundbreaking regulation, which took effect on Tuesday, mandates that manufacturers print warnings about smoking-related harms—such as cancer, impotence, and organ damage—directly on each cigarette. Retailers have until July 31 to ensure all cigarette packs comply with the new rules.
Read moreThe West Virginia Senate has passed Senate Bill 378, which prohibits smoking in vehicles when children under the age of 16 are present. The bill, set to take effect on June 5, recognizes a lit tobacco product as any lighted pipe, cigarette, cigar, or other device containing a tobacco-based product that can be smoked.
Read moreThe price of a 20-cigarette pack in the Netherlands has risen to approximately €11.10, following an almost €1 increase in April due to government measures aimed at discouraging smoking. Similarly, a packet of rolling tobacco saw a €3.60 price jump to around €24. These increases reflect a significant tax component, with around €7.81 per cigarette pack now attributed to taxes, according to finance ministry figures.
Read more