Mike Daube
@mikedaube.bsky.social
Emeritus Professor, Curtin University. Public health veteran.
I fact check a recent @theconversation.com piece setting out 3 solutions to Australia's illegal #tobacco epidemic simonchapman6.com/2026/07/29/f...
Fact Check: How sensible are three proposed solutions to Australia’s illegal tobacco crisis?
Recently in The Conversation three commentators proposed a three-pronged template for ending the dominance of illegal tobacco and vapes over legal, taxed and pharmacy-accessed products. Their artic…
simonchapman6.com
As global progress is made on road safety, Australia drags the chain - Croakey Health Media www.croakey.org/as-global-pr... By Professor Rebecca Ivers AM and Rob McInerney AO.
As global progress is made on road safety, Australia drags the chain
While global progress is being made on road safety, reductions in road deaths vary significantly between countries, according to data
croakey.org
Really enjoying this approach to summarising journal papers.
Health Promotion International@healthpromint.bsky.social · 2w agoMental health is often overlooked in hypertension care. This paper explores what healthcare providers say is needed to successfully integrate mental illness screening into routine care. Read the full paper here: academic.oup.com/heapro/artic...
The Labor Party has received more than $4 million in donations from the gambling industry over five years, including $1.5 million during the last election campaign.
Labor’s millions in gambling donations revealed amid last-ditch push for reform
The Labor Party collected more than $4 million in gambling donations over the last five years, including $1.5 million around the last election.
theage.com.au
Starting to understand why meaningful gambling reform keeps getting delayed… Funny how money always seems to have a seat at the table.
Dr Monique Ryan@mon4kooyong.bsky.social · 2w agoThe Labor Party has received more than $4 million in donations from the gambling industry over five years, including $1.5 million during the last election campaign.
NSW health ministe Ryan Park is sadly ill-informed about tobacco excise cuts being a solution to illegal tobacco trade. See simonchapman6.com/2026/05/18/w...
Why the “lower tobacco tax” emperor has no clothes
[updated 23 May & 23 Jun 2026. See tailpieces] Not for the first time, NSW Premier Chris Minns has again called for the Albanese government to make significant cuts to tobacco excise tax. He’s …
simonchapman6.com
In Brazil, online betting is everywhere. Since Latin America’s largest country legalized online gambling in 2018, it’s become one of the world’s fastest-growing and most lucrative markets, projected to reach $9.2 billion by 2033.
Online gambling in Brazil is a ‘public health crisis.’ Entertainers are fighting back.
Caetano Veloso, one of the country’s most acclaimed musicians, is leading fellow artists in calls for tighter regulation of the rapidly growing industry.
washingtonpost.com
National survey data shows substantial falls in smoking prevalence in Australia. Excellent news for health and well-being. 2030 target of <5% now within reach. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Smoking rates fall to historic low across Australia despite the rise of illicit tobacco
Long-running AIHW survey shows daily rates of smoking dropped to 5.6% last year – down from 8.3% two years ago
theguardian.com
Also good commentary here from former ACT Health Minister and PHAA CEO Michael Moore citynews.com.au/2026/stub-th...
Stub the spin, we're smoking less and here's why | Canberra CityNews
"Cigarette smoking in Australia has been on the decline for more than 30 years. This drives Big Tobacco apoplectic, and they constantly look for new ways to influence government policy," writes politi...
citynews.com.au
BREAKING: New national data see Australian smoking rates hit record low simonchapman6.com/2026/07/17/a...
Australian smoking and vaping rates fall yet again: new national data
Many Australians will tell you that smoking rates here are going up. It’s so obvious, right? Just look at all the illegal tobacco shops that have sprouted across the country selling cigarettes at p…
simonchapman6.com
Great AIHW data out today shows that smoking rates are at a historic low, tracking well ahead of national targets, and vaping rates have stabilised. 2/3 of Australians aged 14 and over have never smoked- that's a first!
Excellent news. Ten years ago the Imperial Brands tobacco company told us that “Australia is the darkest market in the world”. So good that despite the efforts of tobacco companies and their allies it’s getting darker, and the future looks much brighter for the health and longevity of the community.
The Conversation AUNZ@aunz.theconversation.com · 3w agoSmoking isn’t back. New data show Australia’s tobacco control laws are working.
NEW: Sports betting companies DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365 & Fanatics dropped $29m into a super PAC called Win for America in the 2nd quarter, bringing the total raised to $70m this year.
Ken Vogel@kenvogel.bsky.social · 4mo agoNEW: Gambling companies DraftKings, FanDuel & Fanatics this year quietly donated $41m to a super PAC targeting state legislative races in Texas & Georgia (which are among the biggest states that have not legalized sports betting) & Pennsylvania (which has considered raising taxes on sports betting).
An important campaign - deserves strong support.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids@tobaccofreekids.bsky.social · 3w agoA new FDA policy allows e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to be sold without the scientific review and marketing authorization required by law, threatening our hard-won progress reducing youth tobacco use.
Yet more irresponsible and illegal vaping promotion. Disturbing failure to monitor by social media platforms TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. Excellent comments from Becky Freeman.
Melissa Sweet@melissasweetdr.bsky.social · 3w ago
Latest News: Early results indicate that Australia’s strengthened vaping reforms correspond with reductions in e-cigarette prevalence in South Australia, driven mainly by declines among youth who have never used tobacco. https://bit.ly/4fQ6AH1
Obviously a UK focus, but much of this also relevant to Australia.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 4w agoAll lobbying should be publicly declared in transparency laws shake-up, watchdog says
Absolutely thrilled to share that @healthpromint.bsky.social Impact Factor has increased from 2.4 to 3.6. A huge thank you to our authors, reviewers, editorial team, and the wider health promotion community. It’s wonderful recognition of the outstanding scholarship being published in the journal 🎉
The makers of nicotine pouches are building new plants and expanding to meet demand. While influencers claim health benefits, experts warn the products can be highly addictive.
Zyn’s Popularity Has Tobacco Companies Racing to Cash In
The makers of nicotine pouches are building new plants and expanding to meet demand. While influencers claim health benefits, experts warn the products can be highly addictive.
nyti.ms
These are the products Costello wants to allow in Aotearoa. Highly addictive, targeted at young people, no established safety profile and no evidence they support smoking cessation at a population level. Oh, but highly profitable for tobacco companies.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · last mo.The makers of nicotine pouches are building new plants and expanding to meet demand. While influencers claim health benefits, experts warn the products can be highly addictive.
Why RCTs on nicotine replacement therapy (incl vaoes) are wildly different to the ways that smoker use these products in realworld settings. simonchapman6.com/2026/07/03/v... bsky.app/profile/did:...
simonchapman6.com
Commentary here: bsky.app/profile/natm...
Nature Medicine@natmed.nature.com · last mo.New research suggests that using #e-cigarettes after quitting smoking may lessen the benefits of smoking cessation on lung cancer risk & mortality; more data are urgently needed to inform guidance News & Views from Mahdi Sheikh, Pamela Ling @IARCWHO
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Almost no one is happy with Labor’s gambling crackdown. Albanese may as well do the right thing and get tough
A NSW mayor’s push against pokies should serve as inspiration for federal Labor to make stronger moves against the harms of gambling addiction
theguardian.com
How America’s largest business lobby opens doors for tobacco companies American Chambers of Commerce opposed a vaping ban in Bulgaria, praised a cigarette factory in Serbia and hosted tobacco executives and government officials in Ukraine. www.theexamination.org/articles/ame...
How the global network of America’s largest business lobby opens doors for tobacco companies
American Chambers of Commerce opposed a vaping ban in Bulgaria, praised a cigarette factory in Serbia and hosted tobacco executives and government officials in Ukraine.
theexamination.org
If you read that #vapes are 100% more effective than other ways of quitting, how are such figures calculated & why are they almost always highly misleadng? A long blog looking at all the ways that randomised trials differ from 'real world' attempts to quit #smoking. simonchapman6.com/2026/07/03/v...
Vaping theology 27: “Vapes are 100% more effective than nicotine replacement therapy”: where do such comparisons come from and how do they conceal far more than they reveal?
Vaping hyperbole maestro Prof David Nutt The two giant pillars underpinning vaping advocacy are that (1) vapes are essentially all but as safe as breathing clean air and that (2) vaping is now fina…
simonchapman6.com
