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Public Health

Do soda taxes fight obesity? How did Juul hook American teens? Vox tackles all your questions about public health issues and trends.

Politics
Vaping: the astonishing surge in e-cigarette useVaping: the astonishing surge in e-cigarette use
Politics

Use of e-cigarettes, particularly among teens, is rising at the fastest-recorded rate for any substance.

By Vox Staff
Politics
The FDA has officially raised the age to buy tobacco products to 21The FDA has officially raised the age to buy tobacco products to 21
Politics

The move could save thousands of lives.

By Ella Nilsen
How McKinsey infiltrated the world of global public health
Science

The Gates Foundation brought billions of dollars to the sector — and a business-friendly ethos consultants could exploit.

By Julia Belluz and Marine Buissonniere
Future Perfect
Women suffer needless pain because almost everything is designed for menWomen suffer needless pain because almost everything is designed for men
Play
Future Perfect

Why women are 50 percent more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack and 17 percent more likely to die in a car crash.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
We never really got rid of the plague. 3 people in China just caught it.We never really got rid of the plague. 3 people in China just caught it.
Future Perfect

The plague is still a problem around the world — including in the US.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
The post-antibiotic era is hereThe post-antibiotic era is here
Future Perfect

In the US, one person dies every 15 minutes because of drug resistance.

By Sigal Samuel
Politics
The thousands of lawsuits against opioid companies, explainedThe thousands of lawsuits against opioid companies, explained
Politics

The lawsuits could force drug manufacturers and distributors to pay for a crisis they helped cause.

By German Lopez
Politics
These 7 Supreme Court cases could have massive implications for AmericansThese 7 Supreme Court cases could have massive implications for Americans
Podcast
Politics

​The 2019-2020 term is going to be a big one.

By Delia Paunescu
Future Perfect
Good news: We can totally beat malaria by 2050Good news: We can totally beat malaria by 2050
Future Perfect

If we play our cards right, we can eradicate one of the world’s deadliest diseases within a generation, scientists say.

By Sigal Samuel
Caliber, cartridges, and bump stocks: guns, explained for non-gun people
Gun Violence

As new gun control plans fly, here’s a guide to the weapons at the heart of the debate.

By Dylan Matthews
Video
Why the US drinking age is 21Why the US drinking age is 21
Play
Video

It’s a story about alcohol. But it’s also one about roads.

By Phil Edwards
Vox’s guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy
How 2020 Democrats would tackle the problem of startlingly high rates of maternal deaths in the USHow 2020 Democrats would tackle the problem of startlingly high rates of maternal deaths in the US
Vox’s guide to where 2020 Democrats stand on policy

New mothers are dying in the US at rates higher than any other developed country.

By Anna North and Li Zhou
Prohibition worked better than you think
Explainers

America’s anti-alcohol experiment cut down on drinking and drinking-related deaths — and it may have reduced crime and violence overall.

By German Lopez
Future Perfect
Ghana’s new lifesaving drones: like Uber, but for bloodGhana’s new lifesaving drones: like Uber, but for blood
Future Perfect

They’re helping sick people in emergencies. But some think they’re a $12 million mistake.

By Sigal Samuel
Future Perfect
Our antibiotics are becoming uselessOur antibiotics are becoming useless
Future Perfect

By 2050, 10 million people could die each year from diseases that have grown resistant to drugs.

By Sigal Samuel
Science
Doctors are blasé about bone health, and it’s leading to more broken bones in the elderlyDoctors are blasé about bone health, and it’s leading to more broken bones in the elderly
Science

Osteoporosis could spiral out of control if we don’t get serious about these screening and treatment issues.

By Farah Naz Khan
Politics
Measles has surged in some parts of the US. Some people might need a booster.Measles has surged in some parts of the US. Some people might need a booster.
Politics

The disease is spreading mostly among unvaccinated children, though adults may also be at risk.

By Julia Belluz
Science
The Zika virus, explainedThe Zika virus, explained
Science

Until recently, health officials thought Zika was pretty harmless. Now they think it causes birth defects in newborns.

By Vox Staff
Future Perfect
Bill and Melinda Gates and the problem of the “good billionaire”Bill and Melinda Gates and the problem of the “good billionaire”
Future Perfect

A new wave of critics say even the most generous billionaires are bad. Are they right?

By Dylan Matthews
Public Health
What makes some parents fall for anti-vaccine messagingWhat makes some parents fall for anti-vaccine messaging
Public Health

Public health officials may not be hitting on the right morals in their quest to get all children vaccinated.

By Julia Belluz
Politics
Healthy options — or soda taxes? How two cities are tackling obesity.Healthy options — or soda taxes? How two cities are tackling obesity.
Podcast
Politics

New York and Chicago agree: Obesity is a problem. They have really different plans to fix it.

By Byrd Pinkerton, Jillian Weinberger and 2 more
Science
The FDA cracks down on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigarsThe FDA cracks down on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars
Science

Vaping device use has increased 75 percent since 2017.

By Julia Belluz
Public Health
Ebola outbreak: the deadliest in historyEbola outbreak: the deadliest in history
Public Health

A lethal virus has been killing hundreds in West Africa. Follow this ongoing story here.

By Vox Staff
Future Perfect
Self-lubricating condoms, explainedSelf-lubricating condoms, explained
Future Perfect

Sex with these condoms felt better, researchers found in a new study. That could be a huge global health win.

By Abigail Higgins
Future Perfect
Scientists have estimated the cost of stopping 11 diseases that could kill millions in a pandemicScientists have estimated the cost of stopping 11 diseases that could kill millions in a pandemic
Future Perfect

Creating new vaccines will cost billions, but it may be worth it to avoid the next Spanish flu.

By Abigail Higgins
Why Bill Gates is worried
Future Perfect

What Gates thinks about global poverty, artificial intelligence, political freedom, clean meat, and humanity’s future.

By Ezra Klein
A pandemic killing tens of millions of people is a real possibility — and we are not prepared for it
Future Perfect

A century ago, the Spanish flu killed more than 50 million people. The world is at risk of another pandemic of similar scale.

By Ron Klain
Future Perfect
Heart disease used to be an ailment of the rich. But it’s now striking the world’s poor.Heart disease used to be an ailment of the rich. But it’s now striking the world’s poor.
Future Perfect

Heart disease is responsible for a third of all global deaths, and most of them are in the developing world.

By Abigail Higgins
Politics
Flu shots are important — especially for pregnant women in poor countriesFlu shots are important — especially for pregnant women in poor countries
Politics

Vaccinating pregnant women won’t just save lives now, it can help developing countries fight future pandemics.

By Abigail Higgins
Politics
New research brings us one step closer to eradicating malaria — but progress will take a whileNew research brings us one step closer to eradicating malaria — but progress will take a while
Politics

In the meantime, we need to keep investing in what works.

By Kelsey Piper
Politics
The deadliest infectious disease is becoming drug-resistantThe deadliest infectious disease is becoming drug-resistant
Politics

The UN General Assembly held its first high-level meeting on tuberculosis.

By Abigail Higgins
Culture
Income inequality is changing how we think, live, and dieIncome inequality is changing how we think, live, and die
Culture

Why society might be more stable if we had more poverty and less inequality.

By Sean Illing
Video
Stop peeing in the pool. Chlorine doesn’t work like you think.Stop peeing in the pool. Chlorine doesn’t work like you think.
Play
Video

Pee-ple, taking bathroom breaks in pools is not cool.

By Gina Barton
Politics
Vaccines, explainedVaccines, explained
Politics
By Susannah Locke
Explainers
Mass shootings since Sandy Hook, in one mapMass shootings since Sandy Hook, in one map
Explainers

Here’s the data behind these tragic events.

By Kavya Sukumar and German Lopez
The mind, explained
We need new ways of treating depressionWe need new ways of treating depression
The mind, explained

Experts are now looking to the social and environmental causes of the disorder affecting millions.

By Johann Hari
Everything you need to know about e-cigarettes
Public Health
By Julia Belluz
The Big Idea
People are dying because we misunderstand how those with addiction thinkPeople are dying because we misunderstand how those with addiction think
The Big Idea

A philosopher explains why addiction isn’t a moral failure.

By Brendan de Kenessey
Video
What BMI doesn’t tell you about your healthWhat BMI doesn’t tell you about your health
Play
Video

The way we define obesity is flawed.

By Gina Barton
Politics
This is how easy it is to order deadly opioids over the internetThis is how easy it is to order deadly opioids over the internet
Politics

A Google search, a few emails, and some Bitcoin.

By Dylan Scott