We all know that smoking is bad for us – extensive efforts to improve the health of people in the UK has seen smoking rates fall dramatically, as more people kick the habit. But this decrease may be coming to a halt – young women are taking up the habit again.

Nearly a third of the world’s smokers live in China – that's around 350 million people puffing on cigarettes. But that could be about to change. A ban on public smoking has been enacted in Beijing, which will see smoking outlawed in places including restaurants, offices and schools.

We all know smoking is bad for us – graphic packaging and increased awareness of the related health risks have done plenty to make it seem unappealing. And now, AXA – France’s largest insurer – is also shaming the habit, ditching its investments in the billion dollar tobacco industry.

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?