From nicotine gum to e-cigarettes, the global smoking cessation-aid market was worth around $2.4 billion in 2011, and as healthcare costs soar and more people seek to give up, its value is set to grow. But when it comes to kicking the habit, what will get people to quit – the carrot or the stick?

The Western world is in the grip of an anxiety epidemic, yet while rates of mental illness have surged, health services have struggled to keep up. Could effective care be delivered by an app? That’s the goal of Joyable, which offers CBT treatments to social anxiety sufferers through their smartphones.

The number of people Googling symptoms and diagnosing themselves has reached worrying proportions, with 20% of Brits now turning to the web rather than visiting a GP. Be Your Own Doctor is a new programme from Channel 4 that wants to help viewers navigate this potentially confusing world.

With Americans and Britons alike kicking their smoking habits, lighting up isn’t cool anymore. At the same, time vaping is increasing in popularity as a healthier alternative to tobacco. And new research suggests it’s luring in smokers and helping them stub out the fags for good.