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In his budget today, the chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, is widely expected to put up tax on vaping. It’s been widely flagged that Hunt will imtroduce a “vaping products levy” on the import and manufacture of vaping liquid. The expectation is that this cost would be passed on to consumers, making vaping less affordable, particularly for children. The move comes as concern grows about the number of children who have tried vaping – more than one-fifth of 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain, according to a recent report. Raising prices is a sound tactic: research has shown that increasing the costs of cigarettes had an impact on young people’s smoking.
But more needs to be done, because to many young people, vaping is cool. Teenagers place significant value on the approval of their friends and peers, and will take risks, including with their health, to get it. To break the connection between vaping and cool, Emily Moorlock – an expert in young people’s consumer behaviour – suggests using influencers to emphasise the negative social consequences of vaping and regulating its presentation on social media.
We also explore why some Conservative MPs have been voicing conspiracy theories: it’s a tactic that can help win over an audience, gain notoriety or establish a politician’s persona. And new research has brought a universal antivenom for snake bites a bit closer.
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Grace Allen
Education and Young People Editor
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Amani A/Shutterstock
Emily Moorlock, Sheffield Hallam University
Influencers could play an important role in encouraging teenagers not to vape.
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EPA/Shawn Thew
Adam Koper, Cardiff University
When Liz Truss blames shadowy elitists for her failings as prime minister, she is leaning into a tried-and-tested formula.
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Nature Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo
Stuart Ainsworth, University of Liverpool; Camille Abada, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
We’re still using century-old technology to make snake antivenom. A method fit for the 21st century is on the horizon.
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Politics + Society
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Christoph Bluth, University of Bradford
Helping Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression is not a violation of international law – but Russia might interpret it as escalation.
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Tomás Finn, University of Galway
Updating the constitution to reflect more liberal values has been the work of decades.
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Arts + Culture
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Valentina Signorelli, University of Greenwich; Cecilia Zoppelletto, University of Westminster
How the son of Italian immigrants created the Bank of America, and funded early Hollywood in the process.
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Rebecca Roache, Royal Holloway University of London
The film is part soap opera about neighbourly conflict, part cosy teatime detective story. And it’s also a showcase for some delightful swearing – my area of expertise.
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Business + Economy
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Eoin McLaughlin, University College Cork
Degrowthers advocate cutting investment as a way to reduce use of precious resources, which is exactly what the UK government has been doing for the last 40 years.
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Enrico Bonadio, City, University of London; Andrea Zappalaglio, University of Sheffield
Kylian Mbappé has secured a commercial trademark for his celebration pose, and is looking to protect his name and quotes too.
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Renaud Foucart, Lancaster University
The lack of large, global European tech leaders might actually be a blessing.
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Environment
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Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola, United Nations University
Our expert in disaster recovery and climate change adaptation calls for a longer-term response to conflict zones affected by severe flooding, such as Libya and Pakistan.
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Stephen Lezak, University of Oxford; Kaya Axelsson, University of Oxford
The global carbon removal industry must be drastically scaled up to avert climate breakdown.
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Health
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Erica Borgstrom, The Open University
There is a growing demand for people who help the terminally ill have a good death.
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Taibat (Tai) Ibitoye, University of Hertfordshire
The Atlantic diet draws inspiration from the traditional eating habits of people living in Spain and Portugal.
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Science + Technology
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Charitha Pattiaratchi, The University of Western Australia
It remains one of the biggest aviation mysteries – the tragic disappearance of passenger flight MH370. But a new, targeted search of the seabed could still yield answers.
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Wesley Chang, Drexel University
Electric vehicles are catching on across the US, but they’re also catching on fire in colder regions like the Northeast and Midwest.
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