Our purpose
Smoke Free News publishes news, blogs and explainers about smoking, nicotine, tobacco policy and public health. Our aim is to make important developments and evidence understandable while treating people affected by tobacco use with dignity.
Sources and accuracy
- Identify the source of consequential claims and, where possible, link to original research, official documents or direct statements.
- State when a figure applies to a particular place, population or period. Present estimates and developing evidence with appropriate context.
- Distinguish reported facts from analysis, opinion and claims made by a source. A quotation or press release is not independent verification of a claim.
Health reporting
Health stories should explain both what evidence suggests and what it cannot establish. We aim to avoid alarming headlines, exaggerated certainty and language that stigmatizes people who smoke or use nicotine. Information on this site is general and cannot replace individual medical care; see our Disclaimer.
AI-assisted work and images
AI tools may help prepare drafts, summaries, headlines, search descriptions or image concepts. AI output can be wrong or omit important context, so it is not a source of evidence. A person responsible for publication should review the final content, especially names, figures, quotations, health claims and cited sources.
Illustrations, including AI-generated images, should not be presented as documentary photographs of an event. Where an image could be mistaken for a real scene, its caption or credit should make its illustrative nature clear.
Labels, interests and independence
News reporting, explainers, blogs and reader viewpoints serve different purposes. We aim to label them clearly so readers can understand what they are reading. Relevant commercial or organizational relationships should be disclosed where they could affect how a story is understood. Any paid or sponsored material should be labeled as such rather than presented as independent reporting.
Corrections and updates
When a material factual error is identified, our standard is to correct it promptly and explain significant changes on the affected page. Routine copy edits may not require a separate note. A working editorial contact channel is still being configured; the current Contact page prepares text for copying but does not send it. We will update this page when readers can submit corrections directly.