Nancy Loucas is passionate about supporting and amplifying the consumers of safer nicotine products to assist having their voices heard in the narrative of THR and public health policy. Her THR advocacy began in 2015 as one of the founders/co directors of Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) in New Zealand, doing battle for the rights of vapers to be able to access what they need to become/remain smoke free. The work of AVCA was significant, as New Zealand now has a legal and regulated consumer market for nicotine vapes and heated tobacco products. Nancy is the founder and Executive Coordinator for CAPHRA - the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates. CAPHRA supports consumer THR advocacy organisations and activities throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond. CAPHRA has developed and presented various programmes for consumers. These include the Voices4Vape online seminar series, sCOPe consumer livestream that runs during the annual World Vape Day/World No Tobacco Day, and the recurring stream that runs during the weeklong FCTC COP. Nancy also writes and produces the Advocates Voice online newscast and the Advocates Voice Live sessions that support education and guidance to consumer advocates globally for CAPHRA. CAPHRA, under Nancy’s leadership, established the collaborative “Right2Vape” testimonial database with CASAA in the USA, and the “Right to Switch” change.org petition. Both of these assets contain thousands of consumer testimonials from across the world and continues to grow.

Chim Ngoma is a passionate advocate for tobacco harm reduction and has led the THR Malawi project since 2018. He also works as an Assistant Manager on KAC’s THR Scholarship Programme. Chim has been involved in a number of notable THR projects and activities including the Burning Issues report and briefing paper on THR and the Right to Health as a reviewer. He also participated in a multi-stakeholder smoke-free dialogue in Cape Town aimed at informing the creation of the Smoke-Free Index, an initiative of the FSFW. Previously, Chim worked as a content writer consultant at Solimar International, as a citizen journalist at Nation Publications Limited and as a communications, visibility and M&E consultant at International Cooperation (GIZ).

Dr Alex Wodak AM is a retired physician who was President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation for many years. He has worked full time on drug law reform and then tobacco harm reduction as a volunteer in his retirement. Together with colleagues, he started the first needle syringe programme (1986) and the first medically supervised injecting centre (1999) in Australia when both were pre-legal. Dr Wodak was President of the International Harm Reduction Association (1996-2004). He has been interested in tobacco harm reduction since 1992 but only active in THR in recent years. Dr Wodak helped to start the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (1987).

Education – High School from England; Bachelor from Assumption University, Thailand; Master from Avila University, USA

Social – Past President of Rotary club, committee of the Federation of the Thai Industries, etc.

Works –Intertrade Manager at Probiotic and Herbal manufacturing company.

Present – Director / founding member of ENDs Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST).

Asa was a former smoker who smoked for over 37 years and had tried almost all quit methods until he found vaping over 10 years ago which he switched and successfully quit smoking ever since.  Asa is an avid advocate for Tobacco Harm Reduction who resides in Thailand, the country that prohibits importation, distribution and manufacturing of vape products.

ECST is a consumer group that was founded about 7 years ago when vaping became illegal. We have sent petition letters to various government and related entities asking for the right to choose. Our aim is to legalize THR as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking.