Home Community The Speakers of this year’s Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF 2022) Announced

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The Speakers of this year’s Asia Harm Reduction Forum (AHRF 2022) Announced

AHRF 2022’s multi-disciplinary speakers, who are internationally acclaimed experts from the fields of science, policymaking, and consumer advocacy, were announced earlier this week.

Diane Caruana

October 27, 2022

This year’s forum will discuss the merits of harm reduction as the most effective strategy to tackle the smoking epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region.

Organized in the Philippines, the theme of this year’s event is ‘Integrating Harm Reduction in Asian Policies: A Major Win for Public Health’ and it is expected to build on the success and momentum of the previous forums. As a non-profit and interdisciplinary organization, AHRF aims to inform and educate about harm reduction, recent scientific studies and developments in public health.

As the theme name suggests, this year’s forum will discuss the merits of harm reduction as the most effective strategy to tackle the smoking epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region. AHRF 2022 Lead Convenor Professor is Ron Sison, who is also the president of HARAP (The Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines) and highlights that once again the event will underscore the importance of Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR).

As in previous years, AHRF 2022 will be featuring a team of multi-disciplinary speakers who are internationally acclaimed experts in their fields. These will include Professor David Sweanor from the University of Ottawa Centre for Health, Law, Policy, and Ethics Advisory Committee Chair, whose presentation is titled ‘How Innovative Products & Policy Can Bolster Tobacco Harm Reduction’.

Association of Vapers India member and International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organizations (INNCO) board member, Jagannath Sarangapani (Jaggi), will present on ‘India as the Largest Battleground between THR Advocates and Prohibitionists in the World’. While President of Philippine E-Cigarette Industry Association Joey Dulay will present on ‘How Will the Vape Law Change the Smoke-Free Industry in the Philippines?’

Speakers from the Asia-Pacific region

Other Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates from the Asia-Pacific region will include New Zealand’s Nancy Loucas on ‘The Subversion of Public Health: Consumer Perspectives’, Thailand’s Asa Saligupta, and Peter Paul Dator from the Philippines.

Dator, who is the President of consumer group, Vapers PH, will discuss the Philippines’ recent lifting of its vaping ban and regulation of safer nicotine products will be a key focus at AHRF 2022. While President of Filipino non-profit organization Quit For Good, Dr Lorenzo Mata Jr, will present on ‘Saving 16 Million Filipino Smokers: Embracing Tobacco Harm Reduction through Proper Information and Reasonable Regulation’.

“Several Asia-Pacific countries have legalised and regulated vaping in recent years, with Thailand and Malaysia next. All eyes are on our region and the falling smoking rates of those countries which have embraced, not banned, the world’s most effective smoking cessation tool – vaping. Registrations are coming in from all around the world for AHRF 2022. It’s set to be a great event,” said Nancy Loucas in a media release.