Adolescents who smoke or vape may believe tobacco’s perceived coping benefits outweigh accepted health risks

Public health messaging focused solely on the health risks related to using tobacco products misses the mark with some teens.

Lesia M. Ruglass, Associate Professor of Psychology, City College of New York • conversation
June 12, 2025 ~7 min

As heated tobacco products reenter the US market, evidence on their safety remains sparse – new study

Tobacco companies say that heated tobacco products have fewer health risks than cigarettes, but there is little clear data to support that claim.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Policy, UMass Amherst • conversation
May 1, 2025 ~6 min


Want to quit vaping this year? Here’s what the evidence shows so far about effective strategies

Text message-based programming and the drug varenicline were the only 2 strategies that were shown to be effective for quitting vaping.

Nicola Lindson, Associate Professor, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford • conversation
Jan. 8, 2025 ~9 min

FDA authorized the sale of menthol-flavored e-cigarettes – a health policy expert explains how the benefits may outweigh the risks

It’s a conundrum: While vaping can help some adults stop cigarette smoking, it also appeals to young people who may take up the habit.

Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Policy, UMass Amherst, UMass Amherst • conversation
June 25, 2024 ~7 min

Millions of current smokers became addicted when they were teens – and nicotine marketing targets adolescents today just as it did decades ago

Online advertising featuring bright colors, cartoon figures and promotions by social media influencers entice adolescents to try tobacco.

Jon-Patrick Allem, Associate Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Rutgers University • conversation
May 31, 2024 ~7 min

Cannabis legalization has led to a boom in potent forms of the drug that present new hazards for adolescents

THC concentrations in newly available products far exceed those of traditional smoked weed, which can have dangerous unintended consequences in adolescents.

Ty Schepis, Professor of Psychology, Texas State University • conversation
April 22, 2024 ~9 min

Disposable vape ban: local communities voiced their concerns – and the government has listened

Grassroots activism can drive governments to take action. The recent decision to ban disposable vapes in the UK hinged on creative collaboration between communities, councils and decision-makers.

Laura Young, PhD Researcher, Environmental Sciences, Abertay University • conversation
Jan. 30, 2024 ~7 min

Many people think cannabis smoke is harmless − a physician explains how that belief can put people at risk

Clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of cannabis for certain conditions, but many aren’t testing smoked or vaped forms. Research on cannabis smoke is raising concerns.

Beth Cohen, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco • conversation
Aug. 30, 2023 ~6 min


E-cigarette maker Juul settled a lawsuit over its practice of targeting teens through social media, parties and models – here’s why the company is paying $438.5 million to dozens of states

The nearly half-billion-dollar settlement orders Juul to tamp down its targeting of the teen market.

Jon-Patrick Allem, Assistant Professor of Research in Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California • conversation
Sept. 14, 2022 ~10 min

Study links chronic vaping to progressive lung damage

Study is first to microscopically evaluate the pulmonary tissue of e-cigarette users for chronic disease.

Harvard Gazette • harvard
Sept. 13, 2022 ~4 min

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