It believe that two out of three smokers want to kick their deadly habit, and for good reason the same proportion of them is believed to be too early due to smoking. Around the world, habit vanishes more than 6 million people a year.
But quitting is notoriously difficult. Smoking tobacco is an addictive habit that the UK Royal College of Physicians has resembled heroin and cocaine addiction.
But that does not mean there is nothing we can do. The evidence indicates that the increase in tobacco taxes is the most efficient way of reducing tobacco consumption. These taxes, recommended by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, increase the price of tobacco products in stores, which reduces their affordable prices – a situation that encourages smokers to stop and prevent others from starting in the first place.
Taxation is particularly important because low-income converters are less likely to respond to many other campaigns against tobacco products and regulations aimed at encouraging quitting. But such smokers, including many young people, are most sensitive to price increases.
If abuse alone is not enough, an additional challenge is to kick the habit that tobacco companies simply do not want smokers to quit. They do not want to lose their customers and the big profits they give.
It is therefore unbelievable that the tobacco industry has a well-documented history of undermining provisions aimed at controlling the use and sale of tobacco for the benefit of public health. For example, the largest tobacco companies have continued to market cigarettes to children all over the world even though it is not claimed that they do not, and often in places where advertising is prohibited. In Britain, where tobacco advertising is prohibited, Philip Morris International has effectively circumvented the ban on the recently launched "smoking quit" campaign, which is still still promoting its tobacco products.
Pay a big price
While many of these tactics are obvious, some are more difficult to detect. Our latest research reveals another – how the tobacco industry's pricing tactics in Britain reduce the intended public health impact of tobacco tax increases.
Tobacco companies offer a range of cheaper products to help people smoke (and attract new consumers to start) while offering a series of higher pricing brands to really earn money on those who can not or do not want to quit.
When tobacco taxes increase, they play with their pricing to undermine the effects of tax increases in smoking. They absorb tax increases, especially on the cheapest brands, which delays and stagnates the intended tobacco price increases. In this way, price increases are gradually applied to the brand portfolio to ensure that smokers never face a sudden interrupting price jump when the government increases the tax.
1/40 Breeding with neanderthals helped people fight diseases
When migrating from Africa about 70,000 years ago, people encountered Eurasian neanderthals. While people were weak against the diseases in the new countries, breeding with the resident neanderthals made a better equipped immune system
ANNUALLY
2/40 Daily aspirin is unnecessary for elderly people in good health, study film
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people take daily aspirin for little or no use
Getty
3/40 Vaping can lead to cancer, finding American studies
A study by the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center has found that carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein and methylglyoxal are present in saliva of E-cigarette users
Reuters
4/40 More children are overweight and diabetic
There has been an increase of 41% in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Pediatric Diabetes Study has found. Obesity is a leading cause
Reuters
5/40 Most antidepressant children are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts
The majority of antidepressant drugs are ineffective and can be unsafe, for children and teens with severe depression, experts have been warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly used antidepressant drugs so far, researchers found that only one brand was more effective in relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown to increase risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
Getty
6/40 Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Adults With Higher Risk of Heart Disease, Studying Claims
Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas with verifiable heart health and found that these minority groups were especially likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar
iStock
7/40 Breakfast flakes targeted at children contain "steadily high" sugar levels since 1992 despite the producer's requirements
A large press group has issued a new warning about dangerously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, especially those intended for children, and said that levels have barely been cut at all over the past two and a half decades
Getty
8/40 Potholes make us fat, warns the NHS guard
New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body that determines which treatment the NHS will finance, said salmon road repair and image-driven streets contributed to the obesity epidemic by preventing citizens from staying active
ANNUALLY
9/40 New menopausal drugs offer women relief from "debilitating" hotplates
A new class of treatments for women crossing menopause can reduce the number of debilitating heat in as much as three quarters in a few days, one attempt has found.
The drug used in the trial belongs to a group called NKB antagonists (blockers), which developed as treatment for schizophrenia but have "sat on a shelf unused," said Professor Waljit Dhillo, professor of endocrinology and metabolism
REX
10/40 Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental problems, studying the findings
Research from Oxford University found that more than a million additional people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being drugs and criticized "ideological" reasons that doctors use to avoid doing so.
Getty
11/40 Student dies from influenza after NHS council to stay home and avoid A & E
The family of a teenager who died of flu has urged people not to delay A & E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old technical student from Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent, became ill at Christmas and died in hospital one month later.
Giving only
12/40 Government to review thousands of harmful implants in vaginal networks
The government has promised to review tens of thousands of cases where women have had harmful vaginal nerve implants.
Getty
13/40 Jeremy Hunt announces "zero suicide ambition" for the NHS
NHS will be asked to move on to prevent deaths for patients in their care as part of a "suicide environment" launched today.
Getty
14/40 Human trials begin with cancer treatment that primer the immune system to kill tumors
Human trials have begun with a new cancer treatment that can test the immune system to eradicate tumors. The treatment, which works in the same way as a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which small amounts are injected into the solid part of a tumor.
Wikimedia Commons / Nephron
15/40 Children's health suffers from being born near fracking websites, finding great study
Mothers living within one kilometer from a fracture site were 25 percent more prone to having a child born at low birth weight, increasing their chances of asthma, ADHD and other problems
Getty
16/40 NHS examines thousands of cervical cancer digestion tests after women were wrongly given
Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are being investigated after failure at a laboratory meant that some women were wrong with regard to all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors after identifying "procedural questions" in the service provided by Patolog's first laboratory.
REX
17/40 Potential key to stop breast cancer spread by researchers
Most breast cancer patients die not from their first tumor, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells can enter the blood and survive to invade new places. Asparagine, a molecule named after aspargus where it was first identified in large amounts, has now proved to be an essential ingredient for tumor cells to get these migrating properties.
Getty
18/40 NHS Nursing Vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles announced
A record number of nurses and midwives positions are currently being marketed by NHS, with more than 34,000 vacancies currently available, according to the latest data. The demand for nurses was 19 percent higher between July and September 2017 compared with the same period two years ago.
REX
19/40 Cannabis extract can provide a new class of treatment for psychosis
The CBD has a generally opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most important active component of cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety.
Getty
20/40 Over 75,000 sign requests requested Richard Branson's Virgin Care to return settlement fees back to NHS
Branson's business sentenced NHS last year after losing a contract of $ 82 million to provide child health care over Surrey, referring to "serious flaws" in the way the contract was awarded
ANNUALLY
21/40 More than 700 fewer nurses trained in England in the first year after the NHS fellowship scrapped
The number of people admitted to study nursing in England fell 3 percent in 2017, while the number accepted in Wales and Scotland, where scholarships were maintained, increased by 8.4 percent and 8 percent
Getty
22/40 Landmark study connects Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths
The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led effectiveness than was expected if funding had stopped pre-selection.
On this path, which could rise to almost 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the additional funding earmarked for public services this year.
Reuters
23/40 Long commuters carry health risks
Hours of commuting can be insane, but new research shows that it can also have a negative impact on both health and performance at work. Longer commutes also seem to have a significant impact on mental well-being, with those who commute 33 percent more likely to suffer from depression
Shutterstock
24/40 You can not be fit and fat
It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has been completed. The study of 3.5 million brits found that even "metabolically healthy" obese people still have a higher risk of heart disease or stroke than those with a normal weight range
Getty
25/40 Lack of sleep
When you feel particularly exhausted, you can definitely feel that you also lack brain capacity. Now a new study has suggested that this may be because chronic insomnia can actually make the brain eat itself
Shutterstock
26/40 Exercise courses that offer 45 minutes of launch
David Lloyd Gym has launched a new health and fitness club, basically a lot of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The training group was strived to start the class "napercise" after the survey showed that 86 percent of the parents said they were tired. The class is therefore primarily aimed at parents but you do not really need to have children to attend
Getty
27/40 "Basic right to health" as axxas after Brexit, attorneys warn
Tobacco and alcohol companies can easily win in cases such as the latest fight for regular cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health scientist have said.
Getty
28/40 "Thousands of dying" due to fear of unaffected statin side effects
A major new study on cholesterol lowering drug side effects suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness not caused by the drugs themselves
Getty
29/40 Children born to fathers aged 25 years have a higher risk of autism
New research has found that children born to fathers under 25 or over 51 are at greater risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment on Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind when they beat their teens.
Getty
30/40 Cycling to work "can halve the risk of cancer and heart disease"
Commuters who change a car or bus by bike can reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, but new research suggests – but campaigns have warned that there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists.
Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 percent and cardiovascular disease by 46 percent, according to a study of a quarter million people.
Going to work also gave health effects, but researchers at the University of Glasgow found it, but not as much as cycling.
Getty
31/40 Playing Tetris in hospitals after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD
Researchers conducted the research on 71 car accident cases, as they were waiting for treatment in a hospital accident and emergency department. They asked half of the patients about cards withdraw the event and then play the classic computer game, the others received a written activity to complete. The researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Oxford University found that patients who had played Tetris reported fewer intrusive memories, commonly known as flashbacks, during the week that followed
Rex
32/40 Vaping backed as healthier nicotine alternative to cigarettes after the latest study
Vaping has received a clear thumbs up of health experts after the first long-term study of its effects on ex-smokers.
After six months, people who switched from genuine to e-cigarettes had far fewer toxins and carcinogens in their bodies than permanent smokers, researchers found
Getty
33/40 Common method of making rice can leave traces of arsenic in food, scientists warn
Millions of people put themselves in danger by making the rice wrong, scientists have warned.
The latest experiments show a common method of cooking rice – just boil it in a pan until the water has evaporated – expose those who eat it for traces of poisonous arsenic that contaminate rice while growing as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides
Getty
34/40 Anticonception gel that creates "reversible vasectomy" proved to be effective in monkeys
An injectable preventive gel that acts as a "reversible vasectomy" is a step closer to offering men after successful attempts on monkeys.
Vasalgel is injected into vas deferens, the small canal between the testicles and the urethra. So far, it has been found to prevent 100 percent of the perceptions
Vasalgel
35/40 Shift work and heavy lifting can reduce women's fertility, study film
Women who work at night or make irregular shifts may experience a decrease in fertility, a new study has found.
Shifts and night workers had fewer eggs that could evolve into healthy embryos than those who work regular daytime, according to researchers at Harvard University
Getty
36/40 The Japanese government tells people to stop overworking
The Japanese government has announced measures to limit the number of overtime workers can do – in an attempt to stop people literally work to death.
One fifth of Japan's workforce is risking dying of overtime, known as karoshi, because they work more than 80 hours overtime each month, according to a government survey.
Getty
37/40 High blood pressure can protect over the 80's from dementia
It is well known that high blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia, so the results of a new study from the University of California, Irvine, are quite surprising. The researchers found that people who developed high blood pressure between 80-89 years are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (the most common form of dementia) over the next three years than people of the same age with normal blood pressure.
Getty
38/40 "Universal cancer vaccine" breakthroughs as claimed by experts
Researchers have taken a "very positive step" towards creating a universal vaccine against cancer that causes the body's immune system to attack tumors as if they were a virus, experts have said. Writing in Nature described an international research group how they had taken bits of the genetic RNA code of cancer, putting them into small fat nanoparticles and then injecting the bloodstream into three bloodstream patients in the advanced stages of the disease. The patients immune system responded by producing "killer" T cells designed to attack cancer. The vaccine has also been shown to be effective in combating "aggressively growing" tumors in mice, according to researchers led by Professor Ugur Sahin of Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany
Rex
39/40 Research shows that diabetes medicine can be used to stop the first signs of Parkinson's
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ANNUALLY
40/40 Drinking alcohol can reduce the risk of diabetes
A new study shows that drinking alcohol three to four days a week can reduce the risk of diabetes. Wine has been shown to be most effective in reducing the risk due to chemical compounds that balance blood sugar levels.
Getty
1/40 Breeding with neanderthals helped people fight diseases
When migrating from Africa about 70,000 years ago, people encountered Eurasian neanderthals. While people were weak against the diseases in the new countries, breeding with the resident neanderthals made a better equipped immune system
ANNUALLY
2/40 Daily aspirin is unnecessary for elderly people in good health, study film
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people take daily aspirin for little or no use
Getty
3/40 Vaping can lead to cancer, finding American studies
A study by the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center has found that carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein and methylglyoxal are present in saliva of E-cigarette users
Reuters
4/40 More children are overweight and diabetic
There has been an increase of 41% in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Pediatric Diabetes Study has found. Obesity is a leading cause
Reuters
5/40 Most antidepressant children are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts
The majority of antidepressant drugs are ineffective and can be unsafe, for children and teens with severe depression, experts have been warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly used antidepressant drugs so far, researchers found that only one brand was more effective in relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown to increase risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts
Getty
6/40 Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Adults With Higher Risk of Heart Disease, Studying Claims
Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas with verifiable heart health and found that these minority groups were especially likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar
iStock
7/40 Breakfast flakes targeted at children contain "steadily high" sugar levels since 1992 despite the producer's requirements
A large press group has issued a new warning about dangerously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, especially those intended for children, and said that levels have barely been cut at all over the past two and a half decades
Getty
8/40 Potholes make us fat, warns the NHS guard
New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body that determines which treatment the NHS will finance, said salmon road repair and image-driven streets contributed to the obesity epidemic by preventing citizens from staying active
ANNUALLY
9/40 New menopausal drugs offer women relief from "debilitating" hotplates
A new class of treatments for women crossing menopause can reduce the number of debilitating heat in as much as three quarters in a few days, one attempt has found.
The drug used in the trial belongs to a group called NKB antagonists (blockers), which developed as treatment for schizophrenia but have "sat on a shelf unused," said Professor Waljit Dhillo, professor of endocrinology and metabolism
REX
10/40 Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental problems, studying the findings
Research from Oxford University found that more than a million additional people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being drugs and criticized "ideological" reasons that doctors use to avoid doing so.
Getty
11/40 Student dies from influenza after NHS council to stay home and avoid A & E
The family of a teenager who died of flu has urged people not to delay A & E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old technical student from Hanford, Stoke-on-Trent, became ill at Christmas and died in hospital one month later.
Giving only
12/40 Government to review thousands of harmful implants in vaginal networks
The government has promised to review tens of thousands of cases where women have had harmful vaginal nerve implants.
Getty
13/40 Jeremy Hunt announces "zero suicide ambition" for the NHS
NHS will be asked to move on to prevent deaths for patients in their care as part of a "suicide environment" launched today.
Getty
14/40 Human trials begin with cancer treatment that primer the immune system to kill tumors
Human trials have begun with a new cancer treatment that can test the immune system to eradicate tumors. The treatment, which works in the same way as a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which small amounts are injected into the solid part of a tumor.
Wikimedia Commons / Nephron
15/40 Children's health suffers from being born near fracking websites, finding great study
Mothers living within one kilometer from a fracture site were 25 percent more prone to having a child born at low birth weight, increasing their chances of asthma, ADHD and other problems
Getty
16/40 NHS examines thousands of cervical cancer digestion tests after women were wrongly given
Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are being investigated after failure at a laboratory meant that some women were wrong with regard to all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors after identifying "procedural questions" in the service provided by Patolog's first laboratory.
REX
17/40 Potential key to stop breast cancer spread by researchers
Most breast cancer patients die not from their first tumor, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells can enter the blood and survive to invade new places. Asparagine, a molecule named after aspargus where it was first identified in large amounts, has now proved to be an essential ingredient for tumor cells to get these migrating properties.
Getty
18/40 NHS Nursing Vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles announced
A record number of nurses and midwives positions are currently being marketed by NHS, with more than 34,000 vacancies currently available, according to the latest data. The demand for nurses was 19 percent higher between July and September 2017 compared with the same period two years ago.
REX
19/40 Cannabis extract can provide a new class of treatment for psychosis
The CBD has a generally opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most important active component of cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety.
Getty
20/40 Over 75,000 sign requests requested Richard Branson's Virgin Care to return settlement fees back to NHS
Branson's business sentenced NHS last year after losing a contract of $ 82 million to provide child health care over Surrey, referring to "serious flaws" in the way the contract was awarded
ANNUALLY
21/40 More than 700 fewer nurses trained in England in the first year after the NHS fellowship scrapped
The number of people admitted to study nursing in England fell 3 percent in 2017, while the number accepted in Wales and Scotland, where scholarships were maintained, increased by 8.4 percent and 8 percent
Getty
22/40 Landmark study connects Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths
The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led effectiveness than was expected if funding had stopped pre-selection.
On this path, which could rise to almost 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the additional funding earmarked for public services this year.
Reuters
23/40 Long commuters carry health risks
Hours of commuting can be insane, but new research shows that it can also have a negative impact on both health and performance at work. Longer commutes also seem to have a significant impact on mental well-being, with those who commute 33 percent more likely to suffer from depression
Shutterstock
24/40 You can not be fit and fat
It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has been completed. The study of 3.5 million brits found that even "metabolically healthy" obese people still have a higher risk of heart disease or stroke than those with a normal weight range
Getty
25/40 Lack of sleep
When you feel particularly exhausted, you can definitely feel that you also lack brain capacity. Now a new study has suggested that this may be because chronic insomnia can actually make the brain eat itself
Shutterstock
26/40 Exercise courses that offer 45 minutes of launch
David Lloyd Gym has launched a new health and fitness club, basically a lot of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The training group was strived to start the class "napercise" after the survey showed that 86 percent of the parents said they were tired. The class is therefore primarily aimed at parents but you do not really need to have children to attend
Getty
27/40 "Basic right to health" as axxas after Brexit, attorneys warn
Tobacco and alcohol companies can easily win in cases such as the latest fight for regular cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health scientist have said.
Getty
28/40 "Thousands of dying" due to fear of unaffected statin side effects
A major new study on cholesterol lowering drug side effects suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness not caused by the drugs themselves
Getty
29/40 Children born to fathers aged 25 years have a higher risk of autism
New research has found that children born to fathers under 25 or over 51 are at greater risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment on Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind when they beat their teens.
Getty
30/40 Cycling to work "can halve the risk of cancer and heart disease"
Commuters who change a car or bus by bike can reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, but new research suggests – but campaigns have warned that there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists.
Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 percent and cardiovascular disease by 46 percent, according to a study of a quarter million people.
Going to work also gave health effects, but researchers at the University of Glasgow found it, but not as much as cycling.
Getty
31/40 Playing Tetris in hospitals after a traumatic event can prevent PTSD
Researchers conducted the research on 71 car accident cases, as they were waiting for treatment in a hospital accident and emergency department. They asked half of the patients about cards withdraw the event and then play the classic computer game, the others received a written activity to complete. The researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Oxford University found that patients who had played Tetris reported fewer intrusive memories, commonly known as flashbacks, during the week that followed
Rex
32/40 Vaping backed as healthier nicotine alternative to cigarettes after the latest study
Vaping has received a clear thumbs up of health experts after the first long-term study of its effects on ex-smokers.
After six months, people who switched from genuine to e-cigarettes had far fewer toxins and carcinogens in their bodies than permanent smokers, researchers found
Getty
33/40 Common method of making rice can leave traces of arsenic in food, scientists warn
Millions of people put themselves in danger by making the rice wrong, scientists have warned.
The latest experiments show a common method of cooking rice – just boil it in a pan until the water has evaporated – expose those who eat it for traces of poisonous arsenic that contaminate rice while growing as a result of industrial toxins and pesticides
Getty
34/40 Anticonception gel that creates "reversible vasectomy" proved to be effective in monkeys
An injectable preventive gel that acts as a "reversible vasectomy" is a step closer to offering men after successful attempts on monkeys.
Vasalgel is injected into vas deferens, the small canal between the testicles and the urethra. Det har hittills visat sig hindra 100 procent av uppfattningarna
Vasalgel
35/40 Skiftarbete och tung lyft kan minska kvinnornas fertilitet, studiefynd
Kvinnor som arbetar på natten eller gör oregelbundna skift kan uppleva en minskning av fertiliteten, har en ny studie funnit.
Skift- och nattarbetare hade färre ägg som kunde utvecklas till friska embryon än de som arbetar ordinarie dagtid, enligt forskare vid Harvard University
Getty
36/40 Japans regering berättar för folk att sluta överarbete
Den japanska regeringen har meddelat åtgärder för att begränsa antalet övertidsanställda kan göra – i ett försök att stoppa människor bokstavligen arbeta sig till döds.
En femtedel av Japans arbetskraft riskerar att dö av överarbete, känd som karoshi, eftersom de arbetar mer än 80 timmar övertid varje månad, enligt en regeringsundersökning.
Getty
37/40 Högt blodtryck kan skydda över 80-talet från demens
It is well known that high blood pressure is a risk factor for dementia, so the results of a new study from the University of California, Irvine, are quite surprising. The researchers found that people who developed high blood pressure between the ages of 80-89 are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia) over the next three years than people of the same age with normal blood pressure.
Getty
38/40 'Universal cancer vaccine’ breakthrough claimed by experts
Scientists have taken a “very positive step” towards creating a universal vaccine against cancer that makes the body’s immune system attack tumours as if they were a virus, experts have said. Writing in Nature, an international team of researchers described how they had taken pieces of cancer’s genetic RNA code, put them into tiny nanoparticles of fat and then injected the mixture into the bloodstreams of three patients in the advanced stages of the disease. The patients' immune systems responded by producing "killer" T-cells designed to attack cancer. The vaccine was also found to be effective in fighting “aggressively growing” tumours in mice, according to researchers, who were led by Professor Ugur Sahin from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany
Rex
39/40 Research shows that diabetes drug can be used to stop first signs of Parkinson’s
Scientists in a new study show that the first signs of Parkinson’s can be stopped. The UCL study is still in its research period but the team are ‘excited’. Today’s Parkinson’s drugs manage the symptoms of the disease but ultimately do not stop its progression in the brain.
ANNUALLY
40/40 Drinking alcohol could reduce risk of diabetes
A new study shows that drinking alcohol three to four days a week could reduce the risk of diabetes. Wine was found to be most effective in reducing the risk due to the chemical compounds that balance blood sugar levels.
Getty
Further tactics adopted by the industry include shrinkflation – cutting the number of cigarettes in a pack to disguise price rises and prevent the cost of a packet of tobacco being tipped over certain psychological levels.
Reducing the number of cigarettes in a pack from 20 to 19, 18 or even 17, while keeping the price stable means the higher cost per cigarette isn’t immediately obvious to most smokers – and the producer can make greater profits.
The industry also used price marked packaging to limit the ability of retailers to increase their small markup on tobacco sales as a further way of keeping tobacco cheap. Sales of 10-cigarette packs increased and very small packs of loose tobacco (10g or less) were introduced. These small packets appeal to the most price sensitive smokers as they cost less to buy.
Such tactics and small packs have recently been banned in the UK with the introduction of standardised packaging (where tobacco has to be sold in a standardised format with drab packaging) but are still available elsewhere. The UK has also introduced a new minimum excise tax which puts the average price at over £10 for a packet of 20 cigarettes stopping the sale of ultra-cheap mainstream tobacco products.
Ultimately the tobacco industry wouldn’t be manipulating price if it wasn’t so effective in ensuring young people take up smoking and in preventing existing smokers from quitting. So what more can we do?
Stubbing it out
Further restricting industry use of pricing tactics would be a good option. Companies could be limited in the number of brands and brands variants they sell to cut down on the range of prices on offer, and in the number of times they can change prices in order to remove their ability to smooth prices and directly undermine the public health benefits of tax increases.
There is even a case for directly regulating tobacco prices in the same way that prices for public utility services, such as water and electricity are often determined by independent government agencies. Public utilities are important services, which is why the government looks to protect the public from company pricing choices – but then tobacco is a very addictive and deadly product where price matters too.
Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds
Meanwhile, Bloomberg Philanthropies recently announced a $20m (£16m) investment to create Stop (Stopping Tobacco Organisations and Products) – a global tobacco industry watchdog to help expose more of these practices. The Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath is one of three partners funded to lead this initiative.
The public can cannot afford to let the industry operate under the radar when the product they make kills two out of three long term users. This new partnership will serve as a necessary watchdog to expose their deadly tactics.
Anna Gilmore is a professor of public health and director of the Tobacco Control Research Group, J Robert Branston is a senior lecturer in business economics and Rosemary Hiscock is a research associate at the University of Bath. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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