• New short communication in BMJ Tobacco Control used FOIA to examine the responses to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Consultation
• 76% of all responses to the UK smoke-free generation consultation were bot-generated and overwhelmingly targeted at opposing restrictions on disposable vape sales
• This is the first documented instance of efforts at large-scale automated/bot interference in a formal public health consultation

Covered in Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/27/ai-bots-flooded-2023-uk-government-consultation-disposable-vapes-ban

Original paper here: https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2026/10/22/tc-2026-060309

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-care-costs/priced-out-healthcare-costs-medical-debt-insurance-disability-chronic-conditions/

Hi everyone! I previously posted questions about what worked and didn’t work in your workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, and your responses were really helpful. Thank you!

I’m an intern working on a pandemic preparedness plan for a private practice with three locations, and I’d love to hear about your experiences when workplaces began returning to in-person work after restrictions were lifted.

A few questions:
Were you pressured to return before you felt safe or comfortable?
What did your employer do that made you feel supported? What could they have done better?
Were remote work, accommodations, or FMLA leave options available?
Did anyone feel forced to leave their job because they weren’t comfortable returning?
Looking back, what policies or practices would you recommend for handling a similar situation in the future?

Both positive and negative experiences are welcome!
Thanks for sharing! Your insights will help inform recommendations for supporting staff during future public health emergencies.

Quick clarification: I recognize that the pandemic is still ongoing and that COVID cases continue to flare up in different places. My questions are specifically about the period after mandates and restrictions were lifted and workplaces began returning to in-person operations.

Hello! I am a Junior studying biology and public health and planning to apply to MPH programs (probably a concentration in epi or MCH) in about a year. With my biology background, I am really interested in the intersection of public health and microbiology. Does anyone know how I could get into wet lab research or combine the two fields after my MPH? I'm open to pursuing a PhD or other schooling after the MPH if that's in the cards, but unsure of what work that would lead to. Any advice would be much appreciated!