Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform in the United States and abroad. After teaching politics and public affairs at Princeton University (1987-1994), he founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has published extensively and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk has over two million views. Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, advance harm reduction approaches to drug use and addiction, and otherwise promote alternatives to the war on drugs. Ethan hosts the leading podcast about all things drugs: PSYCHOACTIVE. And he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction.

Lindsey Stroud is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which provides data and analysis to inform and assist policymakers when addressing consumer products. Her main areas of focus are goods including alcohol, tobacco and vapor products, and regulatory policies that affect adult access, including harm reduction, technology, innovation, antitrust and privacy. At The Heartland Institute, she authored policy resources and hosted a podcast on tobacco harm reduction, and has also worked for state lawmakers in two states. Creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org), she holds senior positions at the American Vapor Manufacturers Association and the Independent Women's Forum.

Professor Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh is the Chairman of the Malaysian Society of Harm Reduction. Professor Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh is a public health physician whose work is at the confluence of medicine, health economics and public health. As Professor of Public Health (Health Management and Health Economics) at National University of Malaysia, she is well-versed with the burden of non-communicable diseases on Malaysia’s health system and recognised as a prominent figure in public health, specialising in policy, economics, and medicine. As the Chairman of MSHR, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, particularly in advocating for tobacco harm reduction and abstinence from nicotine addiction. Professor Dr. Sharifa earned her postdoctoral degree in Health Economics from the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH). She has served in significant roles including as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for International Relations, President of Malaysia's Society of Harm Reduction (MSHR), and as a consultant to governmental bodies on various health-related matters, including occupational diseases and hospital efficiency. She has extensive experience as a casemix consultant and coding specialist, having conducted research and capacity building initiatives aimed at improving accessibility, efficiency, and quality of care in health systems, particularly in developing countries.

Harry Shapiro is Director of DrugWise – an online drug information service - and Managing Editor of DS Daily - the daily online drug, alcohol and tobacco news service. He has worked in the drugs field for over 40 years, first with the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence and then from 2000 with DrugScope where he was Director of Communications until the charity folded in 2015.

Since 2015, he has been working with Knowledge-Action-Change promoting public health through harm reduction. He is the author and Executive Editor of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report, contributes a blog to Nicotine Science and Policy and is one of KAC’s media spokespeople.