Smokers who quit with the assistance of a text messaging service are nearly twice as likely to be smoke-free six months later than smokers with no support, according to a study published this week in The…
Is legal action becoming a bad habit for tobacco companies?
effb/Flickr
This week’s legal action by tobacco giant Philip Morris to overturn the federal government’s plain packaging proposals is not its first attempt to stifle anti-tobacco legislation. Philip Morris is also…
Health advocates hope knowing that smoking while pregnant increases the child’s risk of heart disease may help inspire smoking mums to quit.
Flickr
Women who smoke while pregnant may raise the resulting child’s risk of developing heart disease by as much as 15%, a new study has found. Smoking during pregnancy has previously been linked to fetal health…
In its latest attempt to derail the plain cigarette packaging legislation, Big Tobacco has pulled out one of its favourite pro-tobacco messages: say no to a nanny state. The print advertisements and website…
Mentally ill Australians have a life expectancy 25 years lower than the rest of the population.
AAP
Almost half of all cigarettes smoked in Australia, the US and the UK are smoked by people with a mental illness. It’s a startling statistic and it paints a grim picture for the physical health of the one…
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch says a price on carbon is a good idea.
AAP
How interesting to see Rupert Murdoch’s mother, Dame Elisabeth, gracing the front pages of Fairfax papers, signing a letter supporting putting a price on carbon. Her son, Rupert Murdoch has also stated…
Plain packaging could spell the death of the cigarette brand in Australia and beyond.
thana/flickr
British American Tobacco Australia has launched yet another attack on the Australian government’s plain packaging legislation. On top of its latest “Where’s the proof?” campaign, launched today, it is…
For a policy the tobacco industry claims “won’t work” or that there “is no evidence” to support its implementation, plain packaging has elicited a deafening chorus of conflicting arguments as to why it…
Young smokers would need to sit an interview before they could buy cigarettes.
AAP
Under this proposal, anyone who wanted to buy a tobacco product would need to have a licence. This wouldn’t happen overnight – we would need to identify a starting point to the scheme, which might be five…
The Government’s plan to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products has been raised at the Council for TRIPS meeting in Geneva this week. In a note to TRIPS delegates, the Indonesian Government has…
Part of the British American Tobacco Australia campaign launched today.
The tobacco industry has launched a national media campaign today, questioning the Federal Government’s proposed plain packaging legislation. It will also release a series of confidential government documents…
Rob Moodie, The University of Melbourne and Kate Taylor, The University of Melbourne
On Sunday, China banned smoking in public places such as restaurants, bars and other indoor spaces. But a lack of public understanding about the dangers of smoking in the nation of 300 million smokers…
The AAR campaign against plain cigarette packaging is funded by big tobacco.
Jessica Rabbit/Flickr
Ever since Pope Urban VII spent part of his 13-day reign in 1590 threatening smokers with excommunication, smoking regulation has been controversial. And the response from tobacco supporters and companies…
The designs have been chosen to turn teens off smoking.
AAP
Cigarette packages have become the last bastion of advertising for tobacco manufacturers. If the Federal Government wins its war against big tobacco, all cigarette packages will be subject to designs chosen…
Although banned from sale in Australia, e-cigarettes are readily available online.
AAP
On a recent long-haul flight, with very limited movie options, I watched the Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp movie The Tourist (two thumbs firmly down). A particular scene on a train to Venice did catch…
Incremental measures have reduced smoking among men from 72% in 1945 to 21% in 2007.
When it comes to branding and advertising, much of what we are exposed to creates only marginal difference. But even small differences can tip the balance toward a particular choice, and plain packaging…