Independent consultant and advocate working for pragmatic responses to the health, economic and environmental challenges of sustainability.
Originally a Mining Engineer with over 20 years experience working throughout the UK. Retrained as a Science and Mathematics teacher and spent ten interesting years in the profession. A lifelong heavy smoker from 14 until 59 years of age, I discovered vaping in February 2013 after a little research, and completely switched away from tobacco cigarettes within days. Bewildered and bemused that upon discovery and conversion to a far safer alternative I found there were efforts from many quarters to regulate e-cigarettes out of existence. Since this time I have spent much time on the promotion of tobacco harm reduction strategies and campaigns, most notably assisting with the EFVI campaign that achieved 183,000 signatures in the ECI (European Citizens Initiative).
I gave up the evil weed in 2012 as my health was failing, no wonder really after 50 years of smoking. I was personally a bit too late in giving up as I now suffer from COPD, the direct result of smoking. I tried many times to quit and failed, but decided to try vaping as a last resort and surprised even myself at how easy it was. I'm currently a moderator on Flavour Boss - Scotland's Facebook page, which is a community offshoot of Flavour Boss, a company which markets concentrated flavourings for e-liquid and we offer advice, moral support, and encouragement to those trying to give up smoking via e-cigs.
I tried vaping in May 2013 out of curiosity after 20 years of smoking. To my surprise, I was soon an ex-smoker.
I work as a Science teacher and Solar Panel installer in Bristol, and in an odd way vaping is related to both of these - I believe in, and work for, a better future.
I'm a founder member of Vapers In Power, a political party founded to give vapers a voice in what may be a restrictive post-TPD world.
Miroslaw is a chemist (PhD in chemistry 1987), ex-smoker (35 yrs) and now a vaper (6 yrs). At the moment he works as a scientific journalist and consultant.Since May 2010 he has been a blogger/vaping advocate (blog in Polish: starychemik.wordpress.com) posting mainly about e-liquid safety, commenting on scientific publications and media coverage of e-cigs in Poland. He is also the author of the very first book on e-cigs ("E-cigarettes for beginners" - first edition 2009). He uses the nickname of Stary Chemik (Old Chemist).
In 2014 and 2015 Miroslaw was also a member of Programme Committee of Global Forum on Nicotine.
Dr Jacques Le Houezec trained as neuroscientist in Paris and clinical pharmacologist in San Francisco, has been working on nicotine and smoking cessation for more than 30 years. He is a Consultant in Public Health & Tobacco dependence, based in Rennes, France. He is also Director of www.treatobacco.net (a website dedicated to the treatment of tobacco dependence, available in 11 languages), Honorary Lecturer, at the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, University of Nottingham, England, and member of the Addiction research group at INSERM 1178 (Mental and Public Health), in Paris, France.
35 year old who had previously tried unsuccessfully to kick a smoking habit of 23 years. Tried using an e-cigarette and stopped within a week. Believe's E-cigarettes to be the most important invention of the 21st century with the potential to save millions of lives
"I am a retired schoolteacher.
I was a heavy smoker for over 50 years having started at the age of 13. I tried may times to quit and used many different methods which all ended in miserable failure until my first e-cigarette - and have never smoked since.
I am still shocked and dismayed at the lengths some people and organisations will go to in order to promote their badly flawed dogma when it comes to smoking and quitting and vaping.
I write articles for the Vaping Post. I have spent a good deal of time writing letters and making comments to what other people have said. I am, at present serving on the board of advisors to the THRA and I am member of the steering group for the new international organisation as discussed at the GFN.
I see the main role that I might play in the future as using my teacher's skills for designing and presenting educational materials for both budding advocates and for professionals not familiar with vaping."
A vaping consumer advocate for tobacco harm reduction living in Finland. I started smoking at the age of 13 and kept on smoking a pack a day for 30 years. In March 2014 I got myself a vape pen to see if I could stop smoking. I haven't taken a puff from a cigarette since that day. After noticing how my health improved, I became interested in the research on e-cigarettes and what various health organisations thought about vaping instead of smoking. I was baffled by the opposition against tobacco harm reduction.
Oliver is the founder and MD of E-Cigarette-Forum.com, the world's largest online community of e-cigarette users.
Vaper, co-owner / administrator of the UK’s largest vaping forum and presenter at Vapourtrails TV. Former 25+ per day smoker that switched to ecigs in October 2010. Continually baffled by the resistance to tobacco harm reduction and e-cigs from some members of the scientific and public health communities. Firm opponent of the EU TPD.
Pharmacist. Junior scientist at the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health and PhD student at the Medical University of Silesia, Poland, working on toxicology of new nicotine-containing products.
Member of the German e-cigarette consumer group IG-ED and the founder of the European network of all national consumer groups, EVUN - European Vapers United Network.
Vaping for over a year and a half: I switched completely by accident thanks to my employer encouraging vaping. Involved with the European Free Vaping Initiative as Wales Coordinator. Currently I am engaging with Welsh Assembly Members discussing e-cigs in relation to the Public Health White Paper Proposals.
Andy worked as a nurse in acute and forensic psychiatry before specialising in the field of substance misuse treatment. In 1997 he completed an MSc in Addictive Behaviour at St George’s Hospital Medical School before beginning his clinical and then academic career in smoking cessation there with Professor Robert West. In 2003 he took up post as Assistant Director of Tobacco Studies and Senior Research Nurse at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London and in 2005 received a PhD for his thesis, Smoking Cessation in General Practice.
Andy is the Director of the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training and founder and Programme Director of the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference. Andy is lead author of the Manual of Smoking Cessation and co-author of the Stop Smoking Handbook. He is a Senior Editor of the journal Addiction, referees for a variety of other academic journals and also acts as a consultant to Public Health England, Department of Health, NICE and to a number of overseas governments on the delivery of smoking cessation treatment services.
Current research interests include clinical trials and evaluations of behavioural treatments and service innovations, surveys of health professionals, pharmacokinetic studies on nicotine delivery systems and various training, quality of care and nursing projects. Andy has published over 100 papers in academic peer-reviewed journals.
Scottish vaping enthusiast who is determined to help smokers who WANT to switch away from lit tobacco.
Dan bought his first ecig out of geeky fascination, not with the view of quitting smoking. Two months later he had bought just about every device on the market but no tobacco.
That was 2012. Since then Dan has campaigned against the TPD at the EU Parliament, advised the Bristol Stop Smoking Service, hosted the Drippa Radio Show and converted countless people to vaping.
He is a dedicated supporter of reduced harm products in any form.
As a Liberal Democrat MEP (2012-14), led the call in Parliament for sensible regulation of electronic cigarettes in the EU Tobacco Product Directive. Currently works for Macmillan Cancer Support and, previously worked for the NHS, a health professional body and the pharmaceutical industry.
Terry is an 86 year old retired R & D scientist, having spent 28 years in the glass Industry, 20 years in the water industry and 6 years as a Waste Management Consultant and University lecturer.
After smoking strong cigarettes for 69 years he was diagnosed with COPD and quickly transferred to vaping. Terry has spent the last five years researching the effects on his lungs and also acting as an advocate for electronic cigarettes, disseminating the results of his findings, world-wide, in an attempt to counter the many instances of poor and misleading information in the media.
In 2017 he felt honoured when he was able to meet Hon Lik – the inventor of the modern e-cigarette - at the Global Forum on Nicotine, and to thank him in person for the device which had improved the quality and length of his remaining life.
Confirmed vaper and non-smoker. Background in public health research with a particular interest in cancer screening. Now retired (Emeritus Professor of Clinical Epidemiology). Started smoking at 13 and never really considered stopping. Investigating e-cigs for my Aunt, I gave them a try and have not smoked since.
On Saturday June 30th 2012 I smoked a roll-up for breakfast and coughed my guts up as usual. I was 58, I had smoked for 42 years, I had given up giving up. I expected to die from smoking. That afternoon I saw someone using an electronic cigarette. I switched.
Less than a year later, on Saturday June 8th 2013, I completed an off-road marathon. That’s vaping. It saved my life.
And yet: Legislators worldwide are being misinformed by zealots - and smokers are dying as a direct result. What kind of a world do we live in?
Can’t say it enough: Tobacco Harm Reduction Saves Lives.