PHRP in the news
The challenge of planning for healthier urban environments
26 February, 2024 Growing inequalities, strained infrastructure, the housing crisis, unhealthy lifestyles and extreme heat are just some of the major health challenges in planning for urban spaces, according to papers in our recent special issue focused on urban planning and development for health. The Sax Institute sat down with the issue’s Guest Editors, Professor Jason […]
Hesitance on psychedelics in weeks before approval
Conducted in the weeks before the TGA green-lit psychedelics for mental illness, a new study puts into perspective just how shocking the decision was. Read the article in the Medical Republic and read the full study.
Psychedelic treatment in mental health lacks evidence, Australian experts say
Evidence to support the widespread use of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions such as depression is lacking, according to politicians and representatives of peak health bodies interviewed for a research paper published on Wednesday. See the full story in The Guardian, or read the full research paper.
Study proves air filters help deal with bushfire smoke
Some portable filters can significantly boost indoor air quality when bushfires break out, a study has found. Those with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can improve air quality by 30 to 74 per cent if used appropriately, CSIRO scientists say. Read the full story in the Newcastle Herald, and the full paper here.
We worked out how many tobacco lobbyists end up in government, and vice versa. It’s a lot
We’ve just revealed the extent of the close relationship between tobacco lobbyists and government, in the first Australian study of its kind. Read the full article by Professor Becky Freeman and Dr Christina Watts in The Conversation, and see their research paper here.
Almost half of tobacco lobbyists in Australia have held positions in government, study finds
Understanding the links between tobacco companies, their lobbyists and Australian politics “was like doing a complex, 5,000-piece jigsaw with many missing or blank pieces”, Cancer Council NSW researcher Melissa Jones says. Read the full paper in The Guardian and the full research paper.
Experts raise alarm on cosmetic NIR procedures
Greater awareness is needed on the dangers associated with cosmetic procedures involving non-ionising radiation given the major gaps in regulation around Australia, scientists are warning. Read the story in The Limbic and read the full paper.
‘Ban sales’ of non-prescribed e-cigarettes
All vaping products, except those prescribed to adults by a doctor, should be banned from retail sale in Australia because current regulation just isn’t working, according to a University of Sydney expert. Read the full story in Medical Republic and read the full paper.
Tobacco control expert calls for Australia to ban vaping products
One of Australia’s top tobacco control experts has called for an immediate ban on vaping products after a new study into the phenomenon. Associate Professor Becky Freeman of the University of Sydney made the suggestion in a paper published in Public Health Research and Practice, a peer-reviewed journal of the Sax Institute. Read the story […]
Improved analysis reveals higher rates of self-harm
NSW has a clearer picture of how often people self-harm after a new technique tracked down 140 per cent more suicide-related hospital presentations. While standard diagnostic codes used by doctors showed about 21,000 cases from 2016 to 2020, Grant Sara and his team suspected that was a gross underestimate. Read the article in The Canberra […]
