iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Paper led by Caroline Shaw modelled impact of increase in EV fleet found health gains from reduced air pollution overwhelmed by greater injury-related harm from increased car use. Key message: interventions are needed to eliminate a car-dominated transport system. jech.bmj.com/content/79/1...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Open letter to Australian Government demanding end to university fees regime that penalise students studying humanities and social sciences. theaha.org.au/wp-content/u...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Nicola Willis strongly supported the Equal Pay Amendment Act in 2020. She now supports introducing legislation under urgency (i.e. with minimal consultation) to halt existing pay equity claims and move the goalposts so as to make it more diffcult to bring new claims. thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

@janethoek.bsky.social post on the Conversation on Australia's new policies to reduce the appeal of smoking & encourage and support people who smoke to stop. Stark contrast with approach of Govt in Aotearoa. List of measures here: www.health.gov.au/topics/smoki...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

"PMI recognizes that a decline in the sales volume of our cigarettes—and ... our combustible product portfolio—is an imperative component of our ambition to deliver a smoke-free future. And we’re making rapid progress toward that goal." It's target is 550 billion units by 2025. Judge for yourself.

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

2/ Measures include: - new pack warnings - packs inserts to encourage & support people who smoke to quit - new warnings on cigarette sticks (the 2nd country to introduce this measure) - banning menthol to make smoking cigarettes less appealing - standard tobacco pack & cigarette stick sizes

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

PM Luxon and Act's Brooke Van Velden announced a new big idea to tackle the really big issues facing Aotearoa today: the 'roadcones hotline'. I wonder if they are aware of what a great success this was when John Major in the UK did the same in the 1990s? www.independent.co.uk/news/cones-h...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

New research showing that revised school lunches programme in Aotearoa New Zealand is falling well below nutritional standards. www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/aot...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

Report from pilot scheme promoting ebikes in a Maori community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Research by team from Otago University Wellington & Kokiri Marae found providing access to ebikes & supporting measures had multiple benefits in a low cycling setting. www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resou...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

New paper from NZ ITC/EASE study: 3/4s of people who smoke regret starting & intend to quit but >85% (>95% people smoking daily) report feeling addicted. Imagine impact minimising nicotine to make cigs non-addictive would have had if NZ Govt had not repealed this measure! nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Study analysing trends in vaping & smoking among Year 10 students in NZ finds no support for claims in previous analysis that increase in vaping 'displaced' smoking. Rather, decline in youth smoking was continuation of long-standing trend. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Main narrative in road lobby submissions: "solutions to climate change are assumed to come from individual action driving business change in a free market, with the Government taking a small role to partner with industry, enable deregulation & support voluntary action by business."

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Joel Maxwell was pulling no punches in this article on the consequences (more cancer, more preventable deaths and suffering according to modelling) due to the government repealing New Zealand's world-leading legislation to achieve the Smokefree Aotearoa goal. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3605...

Screenshot from Stuff Article: Peters, Luxon and Seymour's Coalition deal resulted in repeal of smokefree legislation, likely resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths.

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

ASPIRE Aotearoa are running a course on February 12: "The Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal: How can we get there now?" There is a 25% early-bird discount for the 2025 Public Health Summer School which ends on Thursday 19 December. Further details here: www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/d...

Flyer for ASPIRE course: Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal: How can we get there now?

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Looking forward to visiting my new local library when we head off to Adelaide in the new year. www.instagram.com/reel/DDa2Go8...

Dancing librarians at City of Marion Library in Adelaide

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Judith Collins the smiling assassin. Have a look (and weep) at the tributes to the fund from the 30 year celebration here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=swei...

Judith Collins smiling at a celebration event for 30 years of the Marsden fund - now she has announced the butchering of that same fund.

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

If you haven't seen these - brilliant cartoons on Te Tiriti Principles Bill by Sharon Murdoch.

Cartoon of PM Luxon saying he is comfortable with his position on Te Tiriti Principles Bill

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

New Surgeon General's report focuses on addressing inequities caused by tobacco smoking. Full report and summaries available here. www.cdc.gov/tobacco-surg... Final conclusion from key findings below.

In addition to social and structural interventions, a comprehensive and multilevel effort toward health equity must include a combination of complementary approaches to reduce the affordability, accessibility, appeal, and addictiveness of tobacco products; eliminate exposure to
secondhand tobacco smoke; conduct high-impact media campaigns; and promote barrier-free access to cessation support with broad reach to disparate populations. Strategies should be implemented equitably and with fidelity in all jurisdictions.

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Anaru Waa and @janethoek.bsky.social of ASPIRE Aotearoa received major awards at the recent Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Gold Coast. Very well done. www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroo...

Image of Anaru Waa after receiving the Dame Tariana Turia Award at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference, Gold Coast, October 2024

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

I mostly write posts about public health policy, particularly tobacco use related ones, such as this on Twitter: x.com/ProfEdwardsN... which references a recent op-ed we published on Newsroom. newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/07/t...

Picture of Newsroom op-ed about heated tobacco products

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Richard Edwards @predwards.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

This is my first post on this platform as I migrate away from X/Twitter. I am a Public Health researcher from Aotearoa NZ who focuses on research to achieve a Smokefree Aotearoa. I co-direct the ASPIRE Aotearoa research centre at the University of Otago, Wellington. See aspireaotearoa.org.nz

ASPIRE Aotearoa website - research for a tobacco free future

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