It still is and always will be a terrible time to start smoking.

Study: Nicotine may lower risk of catching coronavirus

Pack a Day

According to a major Paris hospital study, tobacco could be saving smokers from catching COVID-19. Researchers suggest it could be the nicotine.

Study: Nicotine May Lower Risk of Catching Coronavirus

Developments

It'd be stupid to start smoking. But researchers are investigating whether nicotine patches could help.

Experts: Vaping could make coronavirus infection more severe

Vape In The Age of Coronavirus

Scientists say it is reasonable to assume that smoking or vaping could make COVID-19 symptoms more severe once infected.

Experts: Vaping Could Make Coronavirus Infection More Severe

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/smoking-or-vaping-may-increase-the-risk-of-a-severe-coronavirus-infection1/">Smoking or Vaping May Increase the Risk of a Severe Coronavirus Infection</a> [Scientific American]

More on the virus: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/coronavirus-basic-income-ubi">Here’s an Idea: The Government Should Pay People to Stay Home</a>

Don't vape and coronavirus.

"You're doing your math homework and up pops an ad for Juul."

Lawsuit: Juul targeted kids with Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network ads

Huge Clouds

In a new lawsuit, the state of Massachusetts claims that fashionable vape brand Juul marketed to kids with ad buys on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

Lawsuit: Juul Targeted Kids with Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network Ads

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/danvergano/juul-marketing-kids-cartoon-websites">Juul Bought Ads On Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, And Other Kids Websites, A New Lawsuit Claims</a> [BuzzFeed News]

More on Juul: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/harvard-researchers-microbial-toxin-juul-pods">Harvard Researchers Find Microbial Toxin in JUUL Pods</a>

Here are the ads that got them in trouble.

"These products are marketed as healthy alternatives, and yet we see more and more evidence that they're definitely not healthy."

New research: Vaping is incredibly bad for your heart

Lose-Lose

New research suggests that vaping is just as bad for your heart as is smoking cigarettes. In some ways, vapes are even worse.

New Research: Vaping Is Incredibly Bad for Your Heart

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/e-cigarettes-hurt-heart-health-possibly-more-regular-cigarettes-n1079076">E-cigarettes hurt heart health, possibly more than regular cigarettes</a> [NBC News]

More on vaping: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/cdc-knows-causing-vape-lung">The CDC Says It Really Knows What&#8217;s Causing &#8220;Vape Lung&#8221; This Time</a>

Studies

They may be even more unhealthy than cigarettes.

Idiots are starting to vape, then switching to cigarettes

For Whom The Bell Vapes

Compared to the casualties caused by the mysterious vape lung illness, taking up smoking at all is still drastically more deadly.

Idiots Are Starting to Vape, Then Switching to Cigarettes

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/projects/vaping-deaths-long-term/">The recent vaping deaths are bad. The long term toll will be even worse</a> [Los Angeles Times]

More on vaping: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/investigation-cyanide-poison-vape-cartridges">Investigation Finds Cyanide, a Literal Poison, in Vape Cartridges</a>

A half million Americans have become cigarette smokers after they started vaping.

And they detected an "under-addressed problem."

Scientists dug through teens’ trash to see what they’re smoking

Garbage Time

To find out what teens are smoking, two researchers collected trash from the grounds of 12 high schools over the course of eight months.

Scientists Dug Through Teens’ Trash to See What They’re Smoking

READ MORE: <a href="https://time.com/5697131/trash-tobacco-use-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Researchers Went Through High Schoolers&#8217; Trash to Find Out Which Tobacco Products They&#8217;re Using. Here&#8217;s What They Found</a> [TIME]

More on vaping: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/first-teen-dies-vaping-illness-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Teen Dies of &#8220;Vaping-Related&#8221; Illness in the US</a>

Organic Chemistry

And found a link between students' home lives and their products of choice.

"I think the difference between the U.K. and the U.S. are due to the American propensity to turn health issues into moral crusades."

Here's how the UK avoided a "vape lung" epidemic

Vaped Crusader

Experts argue the prevalence of "vape lung" in the U.S. comes from the country's tendency to treat public health concerns as moral issues, unlike the UK.

Here’s How the UK Avoided A “Vape Lung” Epidemic

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bjw5q8/why-people-are-dying-from-vaping-in-the-us-and-not-the-uk">Why People Are Dying from Vaping in the U.S. and Not the U.K.</a> [Vice]

More on vaping: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/first-teen-dies-vaping-illness-us">First Teen Dies of &#8220;Vaping-Related&#8221; Illness in the U.S.</a>

The British government has a more measured system.

"Not only is it a problem overall, but really specifically with respect for children."

White House calls for ban on flavored vape juice

Vape Ban

Trump told reporters on Wednesday morning that the FDA would soon ban the sale of flavored vape products, saying that they were becoming a problem for kids.

White House Calls for Ban on Flavored Vape Juice

READ MORE: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-11/trump-to-hold-meeting-on-vaping-after-reports-of-u-s-illness?utm_content=business&amp;cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">U.S. Will Move to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes, Trump Official Says</a> [Bloomberg]

More on vapes: <a href="https://futurism.com/neoscope/new-york-governor-ban-vaping">New York&#8217;s Governor Wants to Ban Flavored Vapes</a>

Trump is coming for your mango Juul pods.

According to the researchers, the new version has just 0.04 milligrams of nicotine per gram.

Gene-edited, less addictive tobacco could help you quit smoking

Nicotianatabacuml

A team of German scientists have figured out a way to grow tobacco plants that contain 99.7 percent less nicotine. It could help millions of smokers quit.

Gene-Edited, Less Addictive Tobacco Could Help You Quit Smoking

Are low-nicotine cigarettes the answer to getting millions to quit smoking?

The coolest vape trick of all is quitting smoking.

New evidence: e-cigarettes help smokers quit

"Wow"

For the first time, a rigorous scientific study shows that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking better than the patch, but the data gets complicated.

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