Science Media Centre

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced it will keep its current ban on the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. The reasons for the decision [see pages 71-84] include the risk that any change could re-normalise smoking and concern about a lack of evidence regarding the safety of long-term nicotine exposure through e-cigarettes. The Australian Science Media […]

Electronic cigarettes with flavoured liquids could help with weight control, according to a commentary co-authored by New Zealand researchers. The commentary, published today in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, examined current scientific knowledge of the effect of vaping on weight control. The researchers – including two Massey University academics – said that while research was needed […]

Electronic cigarettes are as effective as nicotine patches in aiding smokers to give up tobacco, according to new research. However the researchers behind the study note that e-cigarettes might be a more desirable option for quitters. The first ever trial to compare e-cigarettes with nicotine patches has found that both methods result in comparable success […]

New research suggests that edible sources of nicotine may provide a protective effect against Parkinson’s disease. But independent experts are not convinced the effect is clinically significant. The study published this week in Annals of Neurology indicates that eating foods that contain even a small amount of nicotine, such as peppers and tomatoes, may reduce […]

Nicotine may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, according to a new study – but experts are stressing that the findings are not a licence to self-medicate with patches or cigarettes. A clinical trial, published today in the journal Neurology, examined the effects of low-dose nicotine in people with mild cognitive impairment, which […]

Martin Johnston writes in the New Zealand Herald about research from Victoria University suggesting that roll-your-own cigarettes (rollies) might be more expensive than their ‘tailored’ counterparts. This could be due to rollies having a higher tar/nicotine ratio, with tar also containing a number of addictive elements. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Dr Lewis said […]

Rebecca Todd writes in The Press about recent research from the University of Otago showing that smoking doubled a person’s risk of developing depression. The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, made it clear that it wasn’t the case that depressed people were more likely to be smokers, but that there was a […]

Martin Johnston writes in the New Zealand Herald that smokers are finding a pouch-based quitting system helpful, according to New Zealand research. The system, in which smokers put a pouch containing nicotine in their mouths – between cheek and gum – has been found to be a popular choice compared with gum and other therapies. […]

University of Otago researchers have approved two nicotine replacement therapies not commonly available at present. They also aim to research a new product – a mouthspray which smokers would use every time they want to have a cigarette. An excerpt: (read in full here) “”The new Zonnic nicotine mouth spray study is a great chance […]