Interviews with the Experts
Following are interviews with various experts about issues in tobacco harm reduction.
Dr. Carl Phillips
Television interview:
On electronic cigarettes
(May 2009; Daily Planet).
Radio interview:
On tobacco harm reduction and smokeless tobacco
(May 2006; The World Tonight:CHQR).
The E-cigarette Interviews (2009 onwards)
The following interviews were carried out by Paul Bergen on behalf of e-cigarettedirect.co.uk and are reprinted
here with permission. Anyone may reproduce these interviews online: all that is required is acknowledgment of the
original source and a link back to the E-cigarette original.
E-cigarette researcher Dr. Polosa discusses his 2011 study.
Katherine Devlin discusses how ECITA is changing the UK e-cigarette industry.
Tobacco and public health expert Scott Ballin sheds light on evolving attitudes towards harm reduction and e-cigarettes
- and offers hope for the future.
The following interviews were carried out by James Dunworth and are reproduced with permission.
Anyone can reproduce these interviews online: all that is required is acknowledgment of the original source and a link
back to the E-cigarette original.
Spike was an early member of the nascent vaper's community, and a founding member of the Long Island Vapers' Club
(now
the National Vaper's Club) who fought off a proposed total ban on vaping
in New York.
Kate was one of the first UK vapers and is probably the most activist e-cigarette user in the UK,
plaguing those opposed to the e-cigarette on an almost daily basis and running the Vapers Network,
as well as an active Vaper's group on facebook.
David Atherton represents Freedom to Choose, described on their site as "seeks to protect the informed choices of
consenting adults with sensible and achievable goals on the issues of smoking, We actively campaign to prevent
victimisation of smokers, social division, social isolation and to alleviate the negative social and economic
impacts of the smoking ban. We are funded entirely by donations from the general public and have no connections
whatsoever with the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries."
Christopher Snowdon is the author of the extremely well reviewed Velvet
Glove Iron Fist, A History of the Anti-Smoking Movement.
Carl V. Phillips, MPP PhD, recently an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health,
left to form his own research institute. Much of his work focuses on tobacco harm reduction, including epidemiology,
economics, public perception, communication and education, public policy, and ethical aspects. He works as a consultant
and advisor for various organizations and companies involved with tobacco harm reduction. Prof. Phillips is also an
award-winning researcher in epidemiology methods, focusing on making epidemiologic research more useful and honest.
Phillips received his PhD in public policy from Harvard University and completed fellowships in health policy at
the University of Michigan and philosophy of science at the University of Minnesota, has additional degrees in math
and history, and was on the faculty of the University of Texas Medical School's Center for Evidence-Based Medicine.
Dr Murray Laugesen is New Zealand's most experienced researcher on smoking policy and cigarettes. He founded Health
New Zealand Ltd as his research and consultancy company in 1995, after 18 years as principal medical officer in the
Department, (now Ministry) of Health, and Public Health Commission. Since 1995, Dr Laugesen focused first on policy
and policy advocacy (see www.smokeless.org.nz ) and then research. He is also one of the few to have carried out
research into the electronic cigarette.
Michael, originally a doctor specializing in preventative medicine, is now a professor in the Social and Behavioral
Sciences Department, Boston University School of Public Health. He has over 20 years of experience in tobacco control,
primarily in the field of tobacco control, and has testified in numerous cases against tobacco companies.
Dr Adrian Payne is the Managing Director of Tobacco Horizons, a Tobacco Harm Reduction Consulting Agency.
During a post-doctoral career spanning more than thirty years, he has worked for both tobacco and pharmecutical
companies, often in the field of Tobacco Harm Reduction.
Dr Joel Nitkin is Chair of the Tobacco Control Task Force for the American Association of Public Health
Physicians.
At the time of this interview, Paul Bergen, M.Sc., M.L.I.S. was a Research Associate at the Public Health Sciences at the University of Alberta.
His research explores health mis- and disinformation in the media concentrating on but not limited to tobacco issues.
Together with Carl Phillips, Paul operates the TobaccoHarmReduction.org website.
Michael Kitt owns Cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk coming to prominence when his donations to Cancer Research
from e-cigarette sales were refused (the group does accept donations from pharmaceutical firms).
He is interviewed by Christopher Snowdon, the author of Velvet Glove Iron Fist and the associated blog.
