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Category: Science & Innovation

  • Study Smoking Rates Impacted by Social Norms

    Study Smoking Rates Impacted by Social Norms

    A new study from the University of California San Diego developed a quantitative tool to measure public attitudes toward smoking restrictions and secondhand smoke exposure across the United States over the past 30 years. Researchers analyzed responses from 1.5 million participants in the Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey between 1992 and 2022, creating a “Willingness to Restrict Smoking” (WTRS) scale. The measure captures public support for smoking restrictions in settings such as hospitals, workplaces, restaurants, shopping malls, bars, playgrounds, and casinos.

    The study, led by David Strong and published in BMJ Public Health, found that states with stronger support for smoking restrictions generally had lower smoking rates. Support for smoke-free environments increased steadily over the three-decade period, with hospitals and playgrounds receiving the highest levels of support for smoking bans.

    According to the researchers, the findings provide evidence that tobacco control strategies focused on changing social norms around smoking and secondhand smoke can contribute to declines in smoking prevalence. The WTRS scale is intended to give public health officials and tobacco control programs a new tool to evaluate whether policies and public education campaigns are successfully shifting attitudes toward smoking.

    Source: UC San Diego Today

  • One in 10 vape users still have stockpiled disposables 

    One in 10 vape users still have stockpiled disposables 

    Experts sound the alarm on highly dangerous stockpiled disposable vapes 

    A new UK study reveals that one year on from the disposable vape ban, 10% of vape users surveyed still have stockpiled devices remaining. Experts are warning of the potentially life-threatening fire risks arising from stockpiling vapes for an extended period. 

    According to new research by online nicotine product retailer, Haypp, the ban sparked a massive stockpiling effort, with up to 70% of respondents admitting they bought and stored disposable vapes before the ban took effect. 

    • 20% stockpiled one month’s supply
    • 26% stockpiled three months supply
    • 14% stockpiled six months supply 
    • 10% sill have disposables stockpiled 

    The research also highlights a major environmental failure, with only 10% of respondents saying they recycled disposable vapes they had left after the ban. Despite the ban on disposables, waste professionals say the mountain of discarded devices is still a £1bn-a-year issue, according to a recent report in The Guardian.

    Professor Emeritus Paul Christensen, an expert in lithium-ion battery safety from Newcastle University, urges vape users to stop and think about how to reduce the risk from stockpiled devices: “Just because the batteries are small don’t think there isn’t a risk – it is the total amount of energy in those vape batteries that is a fire risk. If you must keep them, store them separately in very small batches and away from anything that can catch fire”.

    Shelf life matters 

    Disposable vapes typically have a shelf life of 12 to 24 months, but poor storage conditions can shorten that dramatically. To reduce the risk, keep any disposable vapes in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight or heat sources. They should never be crushed, punctured, or stored in bulk. 

    The Hidden Danger 

    The sealed lithium-ion batteries inside disposable vapes can become unstable when exposed to heat, moisture, or physical damage, especially if stored in large quantities. In some cases, this can trigger what’s known as thermal runaway – a reaction that can lead to fires, toxic gas release, or even explosions. This risk is not specific to vapes. Any product with lithium-ion batteries needs to be handled and stored with appropriate care. E-bikes and scooters with lithium-ion batteries have been found to be the cause of a number of tragic fires across the UK in recent years.

    Risky storage 

    While incidents are rare, the risk increases significantly when devices are mishandled or stored without care and as the number of stored vapes increases. Storing vapes in confined or unventilated spaces, like under stairs or in cupboards, increases the risk.

    Dr Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp, said: “It’s very concerning to learn that one in ten of the vapers surveyed still have stockpiled devices. This highlights the ongoing need for clear consumer education about product safety and is a reminder of how blanket bans can have unintended consequences. In May, Argentina ended its long-running ban on alternative nicotine products having found it had not curtailed use but had fuelled a black market for unregulated products. Prohibition does not work. We urge anyone still purchasing disposable vapes to find a legal alternative that works for them, shop with responsible retailers, and to always recycle their devices safely and correctly.”

  • Study: Collective Trauma Reminders Spark Tobacco, Cannabis Cravings

    Study: Collective Trauma Reminders Spark Tobacco, Cannabis Cravings

    New research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health finds that merely being reminded of a collective trauma can trigger an immediate, measurable spike in cravings for tobacco and cannabis among regular users. The study, led by Dr. Vera Skvirsky and Dr. Uri Lifshin with colleagues, frames these sudden cravings as a reflexive psychological defense rooted in existential fear, a rapid mental shield against thoughts of mortality and vulnerability. It draws on terror management theory, which holds that humans, uniquely aware of their own mortality, instinctively deploy defenses against existential threats; the researchers suggest the urge to smoke functions as one such rapid “proximal defense.”

    The team ran two experiments. In the first, moderate-to-high-risk cannabis users read an article recounting the October 7 attack on Israel with recognizable images, while a control group read about dental pain; those exposed to the trauma reminder reported significantly heightened cannabis craving. The second experiment replicated the design with daily tobacco smokers and produced the same surge in nicotine cravings. Lifshin said the findings show how addictive behaviors are intertwined with a basic need for psychological survival, with the urge to smoke acting as a defensive response that pushes thoughts of mortality out of awareness.

    The data also showed that individuals with high attachment anxiety reported higher overall cravings. Notably, traditional anxiety buffers — attachment security, self-esteem, strong national identity, and self-affirmation tasks — did not diminish the cravings triggered by trauma reminders, suggesting the impulse is an urgent reflex to suppress threatening thoughts rather than a strategy to build psychological security. The authors argue that as societies grapple with war, terrorism, displacement, and uncertainty, understanding how existential fear shapes addictive behavior becomes more important, and they note that trauma reminders in news media may influence health-related behaviors even after the event itself has passed. The study appears in the Journal of Health Psychology.

  • Study Finds Herbal Cigarettes May Match or Exceed Tobacco’s Harms

    Study Finds Herbal Cigarettes May Match or Exceed Tobacco’s Harms

    A new study from researchers at IIT Bombay and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign challenges the assumption that “tobacco-free” and “nicotine-free” cigarettes are safer to smoke, finding that herbal cigarettes can produce smoke and particulate pollution comparable to, and in some cases worse than, conventional tobacco cigarettes. The researchers tested six products, two tobacco and four herbal, examining particle size, chemical composition, and the smoke’s potential to trigger cellular damage. Their core argument is that the danger lies in combustion itself: burning plant material releases fine particles and reactive chemicals regardless of whether tobacco or nicotine is present.

    Several findings stood out. The herbal cigarettes produced roughly 20 percent more sub-500nm particles than the tobacco cigarettes, and such ultrafine particles can penetrate deeper into the lungs and potentially the bloodstream. The herbal products generated organic and elemental carbon at levels similar to or higher than tobacco cigarettes, undercutting the notion of “cleaner” herbal smoke. On oxidative potential (the capacity of particles to drive harmful reactions linked to inflammation, heart disease, and cancer) herbal cigarettes measured 24 units per microgram per minute versus 18 for tobacco. The wrapper also mattered: leaf-wrapped cigarettes produced more particles and higher oxidative potential than paper-wrapped ones, making leaf-wrapped herbal variants the most hazardous samples tested.

    The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, also highlights a regulatory gap. Because herbal cigarettes often contain neither tobacco nor nicotine, they can fall outside the regulatory frameworks of the U.S. FDA and India’s tobacco control law, allowing them to carry wellness and health-related claims — such as aiding sleep, easing anxiety, or relieving coughs — that would face tougher scrutiny on conventional products. Researchers including Professor Sameer Patel, Professor Vishal Verma, Dr. Alok Kumar Thakur, and Dr. P.S. Ganesh Subramanian warned that this could mislead both smokers seeking a substitute and non-smokers drawn in by a “natural” image, concluding that tobacco-free does not mean smoke-free or risk-free.

  • UK Price Cap Could Raise Billions and Cut Deaths, U. of Bath Study Finds

    Research published by the University of Bath Tobacco Control Research Group and the University of Sheffield’s Addictions Research Group provides the first real-world modelling of a proposed “polluter pays” tobacco levy scheme for the United Kingdom. The study found that the proposed policy could raise between £1 billion and £4.9 billion over five years, depending on the level of price cap and how quickly it is introduced. It could also prevent up to 10,000 hospital admissions and save almost 44,000 years of life over a 20-year period.

    The levy could be delivered by setting a maximum wholesale price that the industry could charge for tobacco products, thereby preventing the industry from using price as a promotional tool. To stop shop prices from falling, the government would raise taxes to offset falls in wholesale prices. The researchers argue this structure would extract revenue from tobacco company profits rather than from consumers or small retailers.

    The University of Sheffield team led a dynamic micro-simulation modelling exercise for England, tracking 250,000 individuals aged 18 to 89 across six scenarios, varying the stringency and speed of tobacco price cap implementation. An immediate hard cap in England could generate £4.9 billion by 2029 and, by 2044, lead to 1,636 fewer deaths, 43,987 fewer years of life lost, and 10,073 fewer hospital admissions.

    Across all six scenarios, researchers observed a consistent pattern: a narrower price range in the market, reduced smoking prevalence, higher tax revenues, and fewer deaths and hospital admissions. While industry revenues declined, consumer expenditure remained largely unchanged. Advocates including Action on Smoking and Health (UK) and Cancer Research UK have championed the idea, and the study’s authors called on UK ministers to consult on introducing the levy as a long-term tool to make the country smokefree within the next 20 years.

  • Graphic Cigarette Warnings May Nudge Smokers Toward Vaping, Study Finds

    New research from Washington State University, published in the Journal of Business Ethics, finds that graphic anti-smoking warnings on cigarette packaging may produce an unintended consequence: rather than quitting, some smokers are instead drawn toward e-cigarettes. In the absence of similar warnings for e-cigarettes, consumers may get the impression that they are a safe alternative.

    The study, conducted across four separate online experiments, found that smokers exposed to this disparity in health warnings shifted their attention and attitudes toward favorable views of vaping and demonstrated an intention to try e-cigarettes rather than quit smoking. In one study, however, when people were confronted with more balanced health warnings, they were less likely to have positive attitudes or intentions about vaping.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has adopted regulations requiring the use of 11 graphic images in addition to written warnings on cigarette packaging, but implementation has been held up in legal challenges. Warnings on e-cigarette packaging, by contrast, are brief verbal statements that nicotine is addictive.

    The research also highlights a secondary concern beyond current smokers. While the messaging environment affects smokers, it also influences young people who may consider vaping without ever having entertained the idea of smoking. Lead researcher Elizabeth Howlett of WSU’s Carson College of Business concluded that policymakers should consider the messages being sent across the entire market, not just individual products: presenting warnings on both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes would make consumers more accurately informed of the actual risks of all tobacco use.

  • Japan Review Raises Questions Over HTP Risks

    Japan Review Raises Questions Over HTP Risks

    Health officials in Japan are reviewing whether to tighten regulations on heated tobacco products (HTPs) after a government panel claimed that some devices may produce higher levels of certain carcinogenic substances than conventional cigarettes. The review, which was led by Takeo Nakayama, an epidemiologist at Kyoto University, examined global scientific studies published between 2010 and 2025, and concluded that HTPs are strongly associated with nicotine dependence and cardiovascular disease, while evidence on risks related to cancer, respiratory illness, pregnancy complications, and secondhand exposure remains limited or inconclusive. Researchers also identified potentially harmful chemicals, including furfural and mercury, in some products.

    The findings are expected to inform a broader policy proposal on passive smoking measures later this year as regulators debate whether existing exemptions for heated tobacco products under Japan’s indoor smoking laws should be reconsidered. Japan remains one of the world’s largest markets for heat-not-burn tobacco products, with HTP users estimated to account for roughly 40% of all nicotine consumers.

  • Survey Finds Widespread Confusion Over Nicotine Risks

    Survey Finds Widespread Confusion Over Nicotine Risks

    A survey of 1,973 U.S. adults commissioned by Haypp Group, parent of Nicokick.com and Northerner, found most respondents do not distinguish between the health risks of cigarettes and non-combustible nicotine products. According to the Nicotine Product Harm Perception Report 2026, 73% said vaping is as harmful as, or more harmful than, smoking; 60.6% said the same of nicotine pouches, and 64.9% incorrectly believed nicotine causes cancer.

    While 68.9% of respondents said they feel informed about nicotine risks, many answers conflicted with established evidence that combustion, not nicotine, is the primary cause of smoking-related disease. The survey also found that younger adults perceive smoking as more culturally visible, with 36.3% of those aged 25–34 saying smoking is “back in fashion,” even as U.S. smoking rates have fallen to about 9.9% in 2024.

  • How LIMS supports GMP compliance

    How LIMS supports GMP compliance

    ~ The impact of LIMS in modern labs, from data integrity and traceability to materials management and quality control ~

    Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance is fundamental for laboratories operating in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, medicinal cannabis, and reduced-risk nicotine products. Ensuring data integrity, maintaining traceability, and enforcing controlled processes are all essential components of GMP. Here, Chris Allen, CEO of contract research organisation Broughton, explains the critical role of laboratory information management systems (LIMS) in supporting these requirements.

    Regulators are no longer just inspecting facilities; they are interrogating data. From the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Health Canada, there is a clear and consistent expectation that companies must demonstrate complete data integrity, traceability and control across the product lifecycle.

    Paper-based systems or fragmented digital tools can make this difficult to achieve consistently. Against this backdrop, LIMS are rapidly evolving from operational tools into critical infrastructure for GMP compliance.

    Ensuring data integrity and traceability

    A well-designed LIMS embeds these controls directly into laboratory workflows, helping ensure processes are followed correctly and records remain secure, complete, and auditable.

    Key capabilities of LIMS that support GMP data integrity include full audit-trail systems that record user actions and changes, version control for methods, products, and specifications, electronic signatures for reviews and approvals, and permission-based access controls to manage user roles and system permissions.

    Together, these features help laboratories maintain confidence in their data while ensuring they are inspection-ready. This both reduces the chances of failing inspections and makes audits less disruptive.

    Traceability of materials and proper equipment management are also essential elements of GMP compliance. Laboratories must maintain visibility over the reagents and materials used during testing, while ensuring that instruments remain calibrated and fit for purpose.

    A LIMS can support this through integrated management of lab resources, including stock batch traceability, stock expiry monitoring, stock status controls, and equipment maintenance and calibration scheduling.

    By centralising this information, laboratories can reduce compliance risks while improving operational efficiency.

    Importantly, the impact of LIMS goes beyond compliance alone. Leading organizations use these systems to gain greater operational control and insight as real-time visibility of laboratory data allows quality teams to identify trends, investigate anomalies and make informed decisions more quickly. This can support faster batch release timelines, improved product consistency and more proactive risk management. In this sense, LIMS is not just a compliance tool, but a platform for continuous improvement.

    Supporting quality control

    Quality management processes, such as identifying and investigating out-of-specification results, are essential components of GMP laboratory operations. Managing these processes manually can introduce delays or increase the risk of errors.

    Within a LIMS environment, testing results can be automatically assessed against predefined specifications, allowing the system to immediately flag potential issues. Investigation workflows can then be initiated and tracked in the system, ensuring corrective actions are documented and managed consistently.

    Embedding these quality processes in the LIMS helps laboratories maintain structured, auditable procedures that align with regulatory expectations.

    Future-proofing labs with LIMS

    As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, the importance of robust digital infrastructure will only increase. Laboratories must manage growing data volumes, support increasingly complex supply chains, and respond to more stringent oversight.

    In this environment, LIMS is no longer a ‘nice to have’, but a foundational component of modern GMP compliance that enables organizations to meet today’s requirements while preparing for those of the future.

    For companies operating in highly regulated sectors, the question is no longer whether to adopt LIMS, but how effectively it can be implemented to support both compliance and long-term operational excellence.

    Broughton has developed its own LIMS platform, LabHQ, to address the real-world challenges laboratories face when operating in highly regulated environments. Drawing on its experience delivering GMP testing services, LabHQ was designed to support the workflows, traceability and data integrity requirements that laboratories need to meet regulatory expectations. To find out more, visit the Lab HQ website.

  • Cannabis and Tobacco Co-Use Increases Psychosis in High-Risks: Study

    Cannabis and Tobacco Co-Use Increases Psychosis in High-Risks: Study

    A new multisite study published in Nature Mental Health found that combined use of cannabis and tobacco significantly increases the risk of developing psychotic disorders among individuals already considered high risk. Analyzing data from more than 1,000 participants, researchers found that while use of either substance alone was linked to anxiety, depression, and early psychotic symptoms, co-use was associated with a nearly threefold increase in the likelihood of progressing to full psychosis over time.

    The findings point to potential compounding effects of co-use, with researchers suggesting that tobacco may enhance THC absorption, potentially amplifying neurological impact.