Published29 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Hāpai Te Hauora By Frances MaoBBC NewsWhen New Zealand’s new government announced it was scrapping the country’s world-leading tobacco laws, it came as a particularly hard blow to the Maori people.With the indigenous community being the country’s heaviest smokers, its leaders had fought for reforms for years. The country’s model was the first to spell a complete end to smoking – and so was hailed by health advocates globally.From 2024, the laws would have cut nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, eliminated 90% of retailers allowed to sell tobacco, and created “smoke-free” generations of citizens by banning cigarette sales to anyone born after 2008. But with the measures now abandoned, the Maori will suffer the most, advocates say.Last year, Teresa Butler and her six-year-old daughter sat in front of a room full of politicians, begging them to enact the laws.Dressed in a traditional feathered cloak, her voice quavered as she thrust a photo of her mother at the committee. She presented the death certificate.Cause of death: Emphysema, the result of more than 30 years of tobacco smoking. Teresa had her first cigarette aged eight. She recalls running down to the shops in Christchurch, with five dollars in hand and a note from her mum for a packet of smokes. She only kicked the habit when she fell pregnant.”I wanted a healthy baby to continue a healthy strong whakapapa [family line],” she said.She has spent the last seven years of her life as an anti-smoking counsellor, going into Māori neighbourhoods to try and wean people off the deadly addiction.These days, only 8% of New Zealand’s adult population are daily smokers, but the number is more than double that- 19.9% – among Māori. It is even higher among Māori women.It takes a toll, not only on health but finances.A packet of cigarettes in New Zealand costs NZ$40 (£19; $24) on average. Chain smokers can inhale a pack a day.”It’s stress, it’s a lack of education, they have children, they’re single mums,” says Ms Butler, relaying a typical encounter.”I go into a home and I can clearly see her kids don’t have any nappies on. There’s no food in the cupboard. And I’m saying to her: ‘It’s winter time, you’ve got no power. Why don’t you have any money?’ And she’ll tell me: “Because I’ve just spent the last $30 on smokes.”Smokers tell her they want to kick the habit but feel trapped.”They say to me: ‘Look, it’s too easy to access this Teresa. I can wake up at one o’clock in the morning, have anxiety, be depressed and go down to the local shop, the 24-hour petrol station and purchase cigarettes.’ It’s just a quick fix, just like alcohol.”Image source, NEW ZEALAND PARLIAMENTTargeting tobacco, not peopleThe proposed policies – especially denicotisation and the so-called Smokefree generation – have never been implemented anywhere.But public health researchers considered New Zealand – a high-income country of just over five million people – an ideal setting to try and achieve tobacco “endgame”.What was new here was the focus: targeting the industry, not the individual.Almost all smokers will tell you that they want to stop, researchers say. The problem, for many, is individual capability and access to resources.Like other countries, New Zealand had already had anti-smoking measures in place for years: excise increases on cigarettes, a Quitline phone service, and mass media campaigns carrying health warnings.But while these helped drive down the smoking rate for European and Asian populations, the rate among Māori and Pasifika groups remained stubbornly high at around 20%.”The problem we realised was because it was reliant on individuals too much,” says Andrew Waa, an associate professor of public health at the University of Otago who is Māori and who has led most of the tobacco control studies in the country.He says these measures targeted “more superficial aspects” of tobacco control – for example focusing on helping people quit – instead of targeting fundamental causes for why people take up smoking and continue to smoke – like the widespread availability of cigarettes, and the tobacco industry’s role.And the resources needed to quit aren’t equally distributed across New Zealand, researchers say. There remain significant hurdles.There are many drivers behind “health inequity” – but the underlying reasons are rooted in New Zealand’s colonial history. White Europeans took over the Pacific nation in the 18th century.”Colonisation is an underlying driver of ethnic inequalities in smoking behaviour,” Associate Prof Waa and other researchers wrote in the Tobacco Control journal last year.They noted Indigenous’ people’s experience of generational theft, racism and cyclical poverty were the “basic causes” affecting access to income and housing and overall health.So when the Smokefree measures were introduced in 2021, the resounding praise from public health circles was rooted in the view that such policies would vastly improve health equity.And in a clear example of best practice, where policy is enacted not “on” Māori but “by” Māori, the laws were also the direct extension of a political push by Maori politicians in the mid-2000s, when one MP first suggested an end to tobacco sales.In 2010, Māori legislators set up the country’s first large-scale inquiry into tobacco’s harm on Māori and other communities nationally- the parliament inquiry heard from a range of groups across the country. The results of this inquiry led to the New Zealand government in 2011 setting one of the most daring public health targets in the world: a Smokefree country by 2025, with smoking prevalence under 5%.However the National government at the time did little by way of policy to achieve it, researchers say.It was only Jacinda Ardern’s government, a decade later, who decided to launch a package of radical reforms to get the country and in particular its Maori people across the finish line.A quick guide to smoking bans across the worldShe appointed Ayesha Verrall, a doctor and epidemiologist, as health minister – who prioritised Māori community consultation in shaping legislation. The government further dedicated $14m to community health programmes, and set up Te Aka Whai Ora, the Maori Health Authority, an independent government body that sets Māori health policy and tailors the country’s health system delivery to Indigenous people.The scientific modelling backed up the Smokefree reforms. Simulation studies conducted by Associate Prof Waa and other researchers concluded the measures would see the smoking rate for Māori drop to 7.8% by 2025, compared to a 2040 timeframe under previous smoking policy. More profoundly, the mortality gap for Māori women would be shortened 23%, for Māori men nearly 10%.”It is unlikely that any other feasible health intervention would reduce ethnic inequalities in mortality by as much,” the researchers wrote.But New Zealanders in October voted in a change of government.The conservative coalition then said it intended to repeal the health laws to fund tax cuts – a policy blindside given the leading National party never once mentioned the Smokefree laws during campaigning. The new government also plans to dismantle the Māori Health Authority.”We thought that once the legislation was passed last year it was a done deal. So we’re really confused as to how and why this can happen,” says a furious Ms Butler.”It’s heartbreaking because this is life changing, life-saving legislation, particularly for Māori,” she says.Currently about 5,000 people die each year in New Zealand from smoking and smoking-related problems – nearly a 1,000 of whom are Māori, according to a New Zealand Medicine Journal study.National has said they feared the smoking crackdown would fuel an already existing black market for tobacco in New Zealand and increase crime – arguments first used by tobacco companies opposing the laws.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that reducing the number of retailers would turn the shops left selling tobacco into a “massive magnet for crime”. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has argued the smoking ban is a violation of people’s rights and free choice.The finance minister also revealed that the “about a billion dollars” in tax raised from cigarette sales would go directly into funding “tax relief for working Kiwis”. It has blamed negotiations with Act and New Zealand First, two right-wing, populist minor parties it needed to form government, for forcing their hand.The New Zealand Health Minister’s office admitted to the BBC the repeal of Smokefree laws were “not a National Party policy – but that’s the nature of a negotiation.”But previous government modelling had shown that Smokefree would save the country’s healthcare system $1.4bn over two decades.Dr Shane Reti, the new Health Minister, has faced calls from the nation’s practitioners to step down from his medical registrations – given his abandonment of the public health policy.His office told the BBC the government “remained committed to reducing smoking rates” but did not answer questions on how it would achieve that now with the Smokefree policies scrapped.Critics have also raised questions about the tobacco industry’s influence in the policy reversal. New Zealand had been viewed as the dangerous ‘endgame’ precedent for Big Tobacco, Prof Waa says.Since New Zealand announced the laws in 2021, they had inspired other countries; the UK this year also announced ambitions for a smokefree generation.The National party declined to answer the BBC’s questions about political funding from tobacco companies.Meanwhile, health activists and Māori leaders are fighting again to keep their hard-won reform. More than 20,000 New Zealanders signed a petition last week calling for the laws to stay. “We simply cannot afford to go backwards, while our whānau continue to die at the hands of this product,” read the Hāpai Te Hauora petition.Thousands also protested on the streets in capital city protests around the country this week, criticising the incoming government for its “anti-Māori” policies with many singling out the dismantling of Smokefree laws.But there are murmurings and concerns that the government, with a majority in parliament, could scrap the laws by Christmas.More on this storyShock as New Zealand axes world-first smoking banPublished27 NovemberDisillusioned New Zealand eyes shift away from the leftPublished12 OctoberYouth vaping crisis clouds New Zealand’s smoke-free futurePublished13 AugustNew Zealand law aims to phase out smokingPublished9 December 2021

Published52 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Frances MaoBBC NewsNew Zealand’s new government says it plans to scrap the nation’s world-leading smoking ban to fund tax cuts.The legislation, introduced under the previous Jacinda Ardern-led government, would have banned cigarette sales next year to anyone born after 2008.Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in New Zealand, and the policy had aimed to stop young generations from picking up the habit.Health experts have strongly criticised the sudden reversal.”We are appalled and disgusted… this is an incredibly retrograde step on world-leading, absolutely excellent health measures,” said Prof Richard Edwards, a tobacco control researcher and public health expert at the University of Otago.”Most health groups in New Zealand are appalled by what the government’s done and are calling on them to backtrack,” he told the BBC.The legislation passed last year had been acclaimed internationally with research models backing the key reforms.Measures included restricting the number of tobacco retailers, and reducing the level of nicotine in cigarettes.Modelling had suggested the Smokefree laws could save up to 5,000 lives each year.New Zealand’s laws were believed to have inspired the UK government in September to announce a similar smoking ban for young people. A spokeswoman said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s position remained unchanged after New Zealand’s reversal.Will Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking in UK work?NZ set for right-wing coalition after National winDisillusioned New Zealand eyes shift away from the leftWhile it has been praised as a public health policy, the Smokefree measures drew opposition from some business groups in New Zealand. Owners of newsagents and corner shops criticised the loss of revenue – even with government subsidies.Some lawmakers – including the new Prime Minister Chris Luxon – also argued a ban would lead to a black market for tobacco.However his National party, which won 38% of the vote in the 14 October election, hadn’t mentioned the Smokefree laws during election campaigning. The announcement by the new finance minister Nicola Willis on Saturday that the government would repeal the laws shocked health experts who believed the policy would be untouched.But Ms Willis said National’s partners in the governing coalition- the populist New Zealand First and libertarian Act – had been “insistent” on reversing the laws.Despite election victory, the centre-right National party has struggled for weeks in policy negotiations to form a government with the two minor parties.A deal was only agreed to on Friday, six weeks after the election, allowing the new government to be sworn in on Monday. New Zealand First – which won 6% of the vote – had been the only party to campaign on repealing the smoking laws.Image source, EPABoth minor parties blocked a flagship National policy to open up foreign property ownership – which the party had been relying on to fund tax cuts for middle and higher-income earners. Ms Willis said on Saturday that had led to the party looking elsewhere.”We have to remember that the changes to the Smokefree legislation had a significant impact on the government books, with about a billion dollars there,” she told New Zealand broadcaster TV3’s Newshub Nation.The laws still need to be actively repealed through parliament, where the government has a majority. “The suggestion that tax cuts would be paid by people who continue to smoke is absolutely shocking,” Emeritus Prof Robert Beaglehole, chair of New Zealand’s Action for Smokefree 2025 committee told Pacific Media Network.A national Māori health organisation, Hāpai Te Hauora, called it an “unconscionable blow to the health and wellbeing of all New Zealanders”. Smoking rates, and associated disease and health issues, are highest among New Zealand’s indigenous Māori population, for whom experts had said the policy would have the most positive impact.”The government is flying in the face of public opinion and obviously in the face of the vast majority of people who work in this field, health professionals, doctors, nurses,” said Prof Edwards.Public health modelling conducted in 2022 had shown the Smokefree policy would have saved New Zealand’s health system about NZ$1.3bn (£630m; $790m) over the next 20 years.New Zealand still aims to reduce its national smoking rate to 5% by 2025, with the aim of eventually eliminating it altogether. More than 80,000 adults have quit in the past year, its national data shows. Currently, about 8% of its adult population smokes. Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.More on this storyDisillusioned New Zealand eyes shift away from the leftPublished12 OctoberYouth vaping crisis clouds New Zealand’s smoke-free futurePublished13 August

Published5 hours agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBy Frances MaoBBC NewsChina is lifting its most severe Covid policies – including forcing people into quarantine camps – just a week after landmark protests against the strict controls.People with Covid can now isolate at home rather than in state facilities if they have mild or no symptoms.They also no longer need to show tests for most venues, and can travel more freely inside the country.Citizens have expressed relief but also concern about the sudden changes.”Finally! I will no longer worry about getting infected or being taken away as a close contact,” one person wrote on Chinese social media.Another said: “Can anyone explain to me what’s happening? Why is the change all of a sudden and so major?”The sweeping changes indicate China is finally moving away from its zero-Covid policy and looking to “live with the virus” like the rest of the world. This comes as the country is grappling with its biggest wave of infections – over 30,000 each day.Pitfalls lie ahead as China exits zero CovidA quick guide to China’s Covid rule changesSome users online have questioned the accelerated opening-up – “The medical system will be overwhelmed and many elderly would be infected. It begins now,” one user wrote.But many others rejoiced at the loosening of a policy that had controlled their lives for nearly three years.Until now, China had forced people with Covid and anyone who was a close contact to go to quarantine camps. This policy had been deeply unpopular because it separated families and removed people from their homes..Some of the centres were also reported to have poor living conditions and inadequate staff. Videos all year have shown guards dragging people out of their homes after they refused to go. Viral footage from Hangzhou last week showed a man fighting off officials.China’s National Health Commissioned announced a swathe of other new freedoms on Wednesday. They said:They aimed to decrease testing. Lateral flow tests would replace PCR tests in most scenarios where a result is needed, although PCRs are still needed for schools, hospitals and nursing homesLockdowns would continue but should only apply to more targeted areas – for example, certain buildings, units or floors as opposed to whole neighbourhoods or cities being shut downAreas identified as “high-risk” should come out of lockdown in five days if no new cases are found. Several cities in China have endured months-long lockdowns this year even when there were only a handful of casesSchools can remain open with student attendance if there’s no wider campus outbreakThe new guidelines also included a strict ban on blocking fire exits and doors and said people had to be able to access emergency medical treatment and escape routes unhindered by pandemic measures.It follows reports of people being locked into their homes during an earthquake, and buildings being sealed under lockdown measures. The recent protests were triggered by a deadly fire in the western Xinjiang region – critics said the victims had been unable to escape the building because of lockdown measures but Beijing denies this. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.There have also been repeated reports of delays to emergency medical care for people in locked down areas.On Wednesday, authorities also stressed the need to accelerate the vaccination of elderly people.”All localities should adhere to…. focus on improving the vaccination rate of people aged 60-79, accelerating the vaccination rate of people aged 80 and above, and making special arrangements,” the National Health Commission said.The loosening of measures come after the country saw its biggest protests in decades. Last week, crowds took to streets in several cities to criticise lockdowns and pandemic restrictions.Protests in some places also escalated into direct criticism of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party – a significant display of defiance given the country’s intolerance for political dissent.Why have so few elderly Chinese been vaccinated?China’s face-saving exit from zero-CovidSince those protests on 24-26 November, Chinese authorities had begun to release some cities from lockdown. Officials had also begun to tone down language around the dangers of Covid.The country’s vice-premier, Sun Chunlan, flagged last week that China was entering “a new situation” in the pandemic and the virus’ ability to cause disease was weakening. Experts have warned any easing of zero-Covid in China would have to be done slowly – as the country of 1.4 billion people could see a huge jump in cases that could overwhelm its healthcare system.Speeding up vaccination of its elderly population is key, health experts say. “The main way for China to exit Covid with the least damage is via vaccination and three doses of vaccination is a must,” Prof Ivan Hung at Hong Kong University told the BBC earlier this week.”Hopefully before Chinese New Year [in January 2023] as there will be a large movement of the population travelling and returning home,” he added.China’s international borders also remain closed to most foreigners, however some analysts say this rapid change shows the country could re-open next year.More on this storyChina eases some Covid restrictions amid protests6 days agoA quick guide to China’s Covid rule changes2 hours agoChina’s fury and fear of Covid puts Xi in a bind28 November

Published3 hours agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPABy Frances MaoBBC NewsChina has recorded its highest number of daily Covid cases since the pandemic began, despite stringent measures designed to eliminate the virus.There are outbreaks in several major cities including the capital Beijing and southern trade hub Guangzhou.On Wednesday, the country recorded 31,527 cases – higher than the about 28,000 peak recorded in April, when its largest city Shanghai was locked down.It comes as strict lockdowns continue to spark episodes of unrest.China’s zero-Covid policy has saved lives in the country of 1.4 billion people but also dealt a punishing blow to the economy and ordinary people’s lives.However the rising wave of cases also comes weeks after the country slightly relaxed some of its Covid restrictions.It cut quarantine for close contacts from seven days in a state facility to five days and three days at home, and stopped recording secondary contacts which allowed many more people to avoid having to quarantine.Officials have also sought to avoid enforcing blanket lockdowns of the kind endured by Shanghai earlier this year.But faced with a renewed surge in cases in Beijing, as well as the first deaths from the virus in months, officials have already implemented some restrictions in several districts, with shops, schools and restaurants closed.The central city of Zhengzhou is also to enforce an effective lockdown for 6 million residents from Friday, officials announced.It follows violent protests at a vast industrial complex belonging to iPhone manufacturer Foxconn. The firm has apologised for a “technical error” in its payment systems.iPhone maker apologises after protests at plantThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Other stories of suffering and desperation have also been shared online where they’ve fuelled public resentment.Last week, reports that a baby in Zhengzhou died because her medical care was delayed by Covid restrictions prompted huge outcry.How Covid is rising again in ChinaZero-Covid China asks: Is World Cup on another planet?China is the last major economy still pursuing a Covid eradication process with mass testing and lockdown rules.However virus cases are now being recorded in 31 provinces.President Xi Jinping has said strict curbs are needed to protect the country’s large elderly population. Vaccination levels are lower than other developed nations, and only half of people aged over 80 have their primary vaccinations.While China is seeing an increase in infections now, the rate is still far lower than many other advanced economies at their pandemic peak.China’s official death toll has remained low at just over 5,200 deaths since the pandemic began.That equates to three Covid deaths in every million in China, compared with 3,000 per million in the US and 2,400 per million in the UK.More on this storyZero-Covid China asks: Is World Cup on another planet?3 hours agoHow Covid is rising again in China2 days agoChina eases some Covid curbs despite rising cases11 November

Published57 minutes agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPABy Frances MaoBBC NewsChina has slightly relaxed some of its Covid restrictions even as case numbers rise to their highest levels in months.Quarantine for close contacts will be cut from seven days in a state facility to five days and three days at home.Officials will also stop recording secondary contacts – meaning many people will avoid having to quarantine.The slight easing comes weeks after Xi Jinping was re-instated as party leader for a historic third term.Mr Xi held his first Covid meeting with his newly elected Standing Committee on Thursday. China’s zero-Covid policy has saved lives in the country of 1.4 billion people but also dealt a punishing blow to the economy and ordinary people’s lives.There is increasing public fatigue over lockdowns and travel restrictions. Stories of suffering and desperation have also circulated on social media, fuelling many outbursts of civic anger.China’s National Health Commission (NHC) insisted the changes did not amount to “relaxing prevention and control, let alone opening up”, but were instead designed to adapt to a changing Covid situation.The NHC also said it would develop a plan to speed up vaccinations.The politics driving China’s hellish lockdownsChina outcry over death of girl sent to quarantineLockdown delayed potentially life-saving treatmentOn Friday, the changes were announced even as the country grapples with its worst wave of Covid in months.The cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Zhengzhou are currently seeing record numbers. On Thursday, China recorded over 10,500 new Covid cases – the highest daily total since April when China shut down its largest city Shanghai to combat a wave there.People in China, and analysts watching the country, have been waiting for some indication from the government that strict Zero-Covid measures might be eased.On the one hand, Beijing is not officially backing down from its commitment to its current strategy, but it has announced a series of measures it has described as “adapting” to the situation rather than “relaxing” the policy.For Chinese people who have become exhausted by Zero-Covid it doesn’t really matter if the government finds the need to save face semantically, as long as the changes are real and that they are.The moves announced today may not seem like much if you are not living in China but, inside the country, three years into a crisis, with no indication of when or how an off ramp may appear, any steps towards re-opening are steps which are not going backwards.Ending the punishment for airlines carrying infected passengers will mean more flights, more seats, cheaper inbound tickets, and an end to abrupt Covid-induced cancellations. This is significant.A reduction of seven days in hotel quarantine plus three days at home to five days plus three is only a small alteration but the expectation is that this could continue to come down at some point in the future.Again, for a country with an economy being smashed by Zero-Covid, baby steps are better than no steps.Raising the bar for centralised quarantine inside China will also ease tensions for ordinary people, if only because it provides a glimmer of light at the end of the Covid tunnel.It is hard to explain to people in other countries just how fed up with Zero-Covid locals have become. They were living through this crisis well before the rest of the world and while other countries have now found a way to move on, they’re still stuck with it, as if China has been frozen in a massive 2020 time block.Despite the small changes however, most restrictions still remain in place. Mr Xi has insisted on sticking to a stringent zero-Covid policy involving lockdowns even as the rest of the world has moved on. That means in many cities residents have been subject to sudden restrictions on their movement and disruptions to work and schooling.For example, this week in Guangzhou – the current epicentre of the Covid wave in China – locals in one district were barred from venturing outside and only one member of each household was allowed outside to grocery shop.Public transport has been suspended while schools and workplaces are also shut down.In Zhengzhou, another Covid centre at the moment, lockdowns there prompted many workers living at a vast factory owned by Taiwanese iPhone-maker Foxconn to flee the area on foot to escape restrictions.More on this storyPanic and fear drove iPhone factory breakout3 NovemberThe politics driving China’s hellish lockdowns21 OctoberXi doubles down on zero-Covid as congress opens16 October

Published23 hours agoSharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPSouth Korea has again recorded the world’s lowest fertility rate with the number sinking to a new low.The rate in the country first dropped lower than one child per woman in 2018.But on Wednesday, figures released by the government showed the figure had dropped to 0.81 – down from 0.84 the previous year, and a sixth consecutive decline.In comparison, the average rate across the world’s most advanced economies is 1.6 children.Countries need at least two children per couple – a 2.1 rate – to keep their population at the same size, without migration.Fertility rates have “declined markedly” in the past six decades says the OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.Alarm as South Korea sees more deaths than birthsFrom Seoul: ‘Why I never want babies’But the trend has been particularly pronounced in South Korea, where family sizes have reduced in the span of a few generations. At the start of the 1970s women had four children on average.A declining population can put a country under immense strain. Apart from increased pressure on public spending as demand for healthcare systems and pensions rise, a declining youth population also leads to labour shortages that impact the economy. In 2020 there was widespread alarm in South Korea when it recorded more deaths than births for the first time.In recent years, economic pressures and career factors have been key considerations for people deciding on children, experts say.For the 2021 figures, experts cited higher living costs, a spike in house prices and the impact of the Covid pandemic as factors discouraging them from having children.A crisis is brewing. If South Korea’s population continues to shrink, there won’t be enough people to grow its economy, look after its aging population, and conscript into its army. Politicians have known for years this is coming but have been unable to fix it. They have thrown billions of dollars at trying to convince people to have children and are still scratching their heads as to why this hasn’t worked. Money of course is a factor. Raising children in South Korea is expensive, and many young people are sinking under astronomical housing costs. But this is also about opportunity.Women in South Korea are highly educated, yet far from equal in the workplace. The country has the highest gender pay gap of any rich country. Most of the housework and childcare in South Korea still falls to women and it is common for women to stop work after having children or for their careers to stagnate. Essentially, many women here are still forced to choose between having a career and having a family. Increasingly they are deciding they don’t want to sacrifice their careers. As one woman put it to me: “we are on a baby-making strike”.More on this story’Why I never want babies’16 August 2018Alarm as South Korea sees more deaths than births4 January 2021

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesPeople in Thailand can now grow cannabis plants at home and sell the crop after the nation removed marijuana from its banned narcotics list.The nation is the first to advance such a move in South-East Asia, a region known for its stringent drug laws.But recreational use is still banned, even though advocates say the easing effectively decriminalises marijuana.The government is hoping that developing a local cannabis trade will boost agriculture and tourism.It’s even giving away one million cannabis seedlings to citizens to encourage pick-up.”It is an opportunity for people and the state to earn income from marijuana and hemp,” said Anutin Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister and health minister, on his social media accounts last month. Why are so many countries now saying cannabis is OK?‘It’s either cannabis or die’He shared a photo on Facebook of a chicken dish cooked with cannabis, adding that anyone could sell the dish if they followed the rules – the main one being that products must contain less than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that gives users that “high” feeling.From Thursday, households will be able to cultivate up to six cannabis pot plants at home if they register with authorities, and companies can also farm the plant with a permit. Diners will also be able to order cannabis-infused dishes and drinks at restaurants.Image source, SOPA Images/Getty ImagesClinics across the country can also more freely offer cannabis as a treatment. Thailand was the first in Asia to legalise medicinal cannabis use in 2018.However, using the drug for personal use is still illegal. Officials have warned people against smoking in public, saying it’s considered a public nuisance and offenders risked arrest.Under the plan the government says it also aims to release about 4,000 prisoners convicted of cannabis-related offences.Thailand, with its year-round tropical climate, has long had a history with cannabis which many locals commonly used in traditional medicines.A wider draft law on cannabis control is currently being considered in Thai parliament. Advocates believe that coming years could see a gradual relaxing on the rules governing use.So is it legal or isn’t it? As Thailand’s tourist economy recovers from its long Covid slumber, many visitors will be wondering whether the new liberal regime governing cannabis means they can light up a joint wherever and whenever they please.The answer from the government is no, you cannot smoke marijuana in public, and it is still illegal to sell or supply any products containing more than 0.2% of the main hallucinogenic compound THC.The official goal is for Thailand to get a head start on its neighbours in winning a large slice of the lucrative market for health treatments using cannabis derivatives, in particular the milder compound CBD. But there is another motive; to reducing overcrowding in some of the world’s most overcrowded jails.Which means, in theory, with cultivation of the plant in any quantities now completely legalised, that the police are now unlikely to arrest people just for possession of marijuana. Already there are hundreds of businesses in Thailand, operating even before the new law, offering a whole range of marijuana products, like restaurants putting the leaves in Thai curries. It is hard to see how the authorities can regulate how much THC they contain. The government insists they are permitting production and consumption solely for medical, not recreational purposes, but in practice that line is already blurred.More on this storyWhy are so many countries now saying cannabis is OK?Thailand approves medicinal cannabis‘It’s either cannabis or die’

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AFPNorth Korea has ordered a strict national lockdown after confirming its first official Covid infections.State media have reported an Omicron outbreak in the capital, Pyongyang, but did not state the number of cases.North Korea has rejected any kind of vaccine programme, even when offered a supply by other countries.Instead, it controlled Covid by sealing its borders – and had never recorded a case, despite experts believing the virus has long been present. Outsiders say the nation’s 25 million population is vulnerable due to the lack of a Covid-19 vaccine programme, even rejecting offers from the international community to supply millions of AstraZeneca and Chinese-made Sinovac jabs last year. There have also been concerns about North Korea’s impoverished healthcare system.KCNA said leader Kim Jong-un had vowed to eradicate the outbreak, which it called a “severe national emergency” that had breached the country’s “quarantine front”.But its strategy of sealing its foreign borders – one of the first countries to do so, in January 2020 – has also stopped essential supplies from entering the country, leading to food shortages and a faltering economy.Why doesn’t North Korea have enough food?How dangerous is the situation in North Korea?On Thursday, KCNA said Mr Kim had ordered “maximum emergency” virus controls, which appeared to include orders for localised lockdowns and gathering restrictions in workplaces.The North Korean news outlet added that the first case of the Omicron variant had been reportedly detected in the capital four days ago.Residents in some areas of Pyongyang had been subjected to lockdown for at least two days before the latest announcement, according to NK News, a Seoul-based monitoring site.South Korea’s government said it has renewed its offer of humanitarian assistance to the North in response to the news of the outbreak. Pyongyang has yet to respond.For more than two years, North Korea has, rather dubiously, claimed not to have a single case of Covid-19. So why admit to it now? Most likely it is because this outbreak is too serious and too difficult to hide. North Korea has been consistent in its public commitment to fighting the virus. This is how it has justified closing its borders for so long. Now that Omicron has entered the country, the challenge is to limit its spread. With no vaccines, poor healthcare and a limited capacity to test people, North Korea’s options are very limited right now. Authorities have clearly decided they have no choice but to put the country into lockdown. In order to do this, they simply have to tell people and the rest of the world. It does not necessarily mean they will be any more willing to accept outside help. Analysts say Pyongyang’s disclosure of the Covid cases at this time is significant and could hamper the state’s nuclear ambitions which have been on show this year.North Korea has claimed to have conducted more than a dozen banned missile tests, including one of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a weapon it hadn’t tested in over four years.Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP that North Korea might shelve plans for a nuclear test to focus on battling the outbreak, though if public fears escalated, Mr Kim may go ahead with a test “to divert this fear to another place”.But Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University, said that North Koreans “may be less interested in nuclear or missile tests when the urgent threat involves coronavirus rather than a foreign military”.He added that he believed Pyongyang would “likely double down” on its lockdowns, given that it was entering a “period of uncertainty in managing its domestic challenges and international isolation”.Despite North Korea’s claims that it had “shining success” in keeping out Covid, there have been signs throughout the pandemic of the virus’ potential presence in the country. There were several unconfirmed reports of Covid cases previously.In June last year, state media reported that Mr Kim had punished officials over a “grave incident” related to Covid, but did not specify details.Then in September, the state held a military parade featuring lines of soldiers wearing hazmat suits and masks, which some analysts saw as a sign that a special force was created to help prevent the spread of Covid.North Korea shares land borders with South Korea and China, which have battled outbreaks. China is now struggling to contain an Omicron wave with lockdowns in its biggest cities.You might also be interested in:This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyKim claims ‘shining success’ against virusNorth Koreans put hazmat suits on for paradeKim Jong-un admits North Korea food concerns

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesChinese district authorities have fired four officials after an elderly patient from a Shanghai care home was believed to be dead and loaded into a hearse.On Sunday, online videos emerged showing two people who appear to be mortuary workers placing the body bag into a vehicle. The workers are later seen pulling the bag open, and one can be heard saying the patient is still alive. The incident has sparked widespread anger on Chinese social media. Officials in the Shanghai district of Putuo confirmed the incident late on Monday, adding that the patient had since been taken to hospital and was in a stable condition.District authorities said five officials and one doctor were under investigation.Four officials, including the deputy director of the local civil affairs bureau and the director of the care home, were fired. A doctor identified only by their surname Tian, also had their medical license revoked. The patient’s identity is still unknown. Many online condemned the incident, with former editor-in-chief of state news outlet Hu Xijing calling it a “serious dereliction of duty that almost led to death”.Another commenter on social media site Weibo said it was a sign of the “chaos” happening in Shanghai. China’s elderly suffer in Covid quarantine centresThe hard life of a homeless Shanghai deliverymanShanghai, China’s largest city and home to almost 25 million people, is now in its sixth week of restrictions aimed at curbing Covid cases, which began spiking again in March. Most people are still banned from leaving their homes for any reason – Covid-infected and their close contacts are forced to go to a state-run quarantine centre. Video has emerged of clashes between police and people being forced out of their homes. The BBC has previously reported evidence that authorities in Shanghai were struggling to deal with the outbreak. China is one of the last remaining nations still committed to eradicating Covid, in contrast to most of the world which is trying to live with the virus.But this zero-Covid policy has come under strain in recent weeks with the spread of the Omicron variant.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.More on this storyChina’s elderly suffer in Covid quarantine centresThe hard life of a homeless Shanghai deliverymanElderly deaths contradict Shanghai Covid figures

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, MONASH UNIVERSITYAustralian researchers are conducting a trial to see whether squirting a blood thinner into the nose could offer protection against Covid.The nasal spray uses the cheap drug heparin in an attempt to neutralise Covid’s spike protein.When sprayed into the nose of a Covid-infected person it appears to make them non-infectious, the researchers say.The trial will not conclude until mid-2022. If effective, it could be used with vaccines and other measures.Researchers hope the spray could help both as an early treatment and as a nasal mask to stop the virus spreading.It could be applied “anywhere where you mix with the public in a crowded situation”, lead researcher Prof Don Campbell told the BBC.”For people like me who are afraid of Covid, the idea that I might take a squirt before I go shopping or to the football is going make to feel a heck of a lot less anxious. It’s a tool that gives me control.”Though other nasal sprays are being tested globally in the fight against Covid, this the first to use heparin – a readily available drug given to people with clotting disorders.The researchers say that when heparin is inhaled, it doesn’t go into the bloodstream. Instead it sits in the nose – with the aim that the virus latches on to it instead of human cells. Victoria’s state government has funded the first A$4.2m (£2.3m; $3m) human trial in 400 Covid-affected homes, beginning in February.People will take two puffs, three times a day to see if it works to prevent household transmission from infected to non-infected residents. If it proves effective, it will be extended to wider social settings.The research comes from Melbourne University, Monash University, Melbourne’s Northern Health, the Peter Doherty Institute, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). It is also affiliated with Oxford University’s respiratory trial group.”One of the wonderful things about heparin is it is already available on the market as an approved product for another purpose, it doesn’t require refrigeration and can be stored in plastic vials so it can be distributed very widely and effectively,” Prof Michelle McIntosh, another researcher on the team, told the ABC.”It’s also in a handy format that people understand,” says Prof Campbell. “We can just say to people: get an inhaler and squirt it up your nose.”Prof Campbell said he had already been using the spray on himself, and he’d had no side effects so far.”I’ve been using it for 20 months and my nose hasn’t fallen off and I haven’t bled to death,” he said.”We are very confident that it will work.”You might also be interested in:This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?SYMPTOMS: What are they and how to guard against them?YOUR QUESTIONS: We answer your queriesTREATMENTS: What progress are we making to help people?NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?