Below are short bio’s on the authors here at Heat Not Burn. All authors listed below have a great deal of experience in harm reduction products, a lot more than many people in “public health” that’s for sure. Collectively their writing helps this blog to be an absolute wealth of quality information.
Click on the authors name to see their posts.
Tony is the founder of Heat Not Burn and has spent over 2 years working along side of and aspiring to be as good as Heat Not Burn’s prolific writer Fergus. Sadly he didn’t quite make it but will still turn his hand to writing posts every now and then for the website.
Tony spends most of his time on improving this websites internet presence and customer service.
Tony’s favourite authors are Steven King, Dean Koontz, Alex Garland and Ben Elton (but only up to and including Popcorn. After that Ben sadly disappeared up his own arse.)
Fergus Mason has had a varied career. Since 2012 he has been a freelance writer, creating content on topics ranging from current affairs to knitted hats. He is also a strong supporter of safer nicotine products, especially Heat not Burn devices and e-cigarettes. He quit smoking five years ago with the help of an e-cig; now he switches between vaping and HnB depending on what sort of mood he’s in.
When he isn’t writing Fergus enjoys reading, archery and sailing. Although he’s originally from near Glasgow he now lives in Germany with an annoying cat.
If you are looking for a professional content writer, Fergus can be contacted via fergusmason.com
Carl V Phillips, PhD., is a researcher and author whose main focus is tobacco harm reduction (THR). He worked on the topic as a professor of public health at University of Texas and University of Alberta, and later as the Chief Scientific Officer for The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA). He currently writes for The Daily Vaper and does contract research and consulting which focuses on critical analysis of the science. Much of his writing from the 2010s can be found in his blog (antiTHRlies.com) and the CASAA archives.
Dr. Phillips is an economist by training and was an award-winning epidemiologist in his academic career. He was a pioneer in THR, among the first scientists to advocate for it. His work originally focused on smokeless tobacco, the main low-risk alternative at the time. He has been studying and advocating for e-cigarettes and modern heat-not-burn products since they became available, including publishing the first survey of e-cigarette users. His research and science communication efforts are responsible for much of the popular understanding of THR. His contributions span epidemiology, policy analysis, political science, ethics, and consumer economics.
Paul is Technical Manager at a family-run technology company. For twenty years he was also a smoker, until he decided it was time to make a change. Thanks to the advice of a friend and his enthusiasm for technology, he was able to switch to vaping in June 2014. Like many others he then discovered that the innovation that had done so much for his health was under threat from misguided health activists.
Since then, Paul has been actively campaigning to keep reduced risk products widely available. He now spends much of his spare time reviewing scientific literature and legislative proposals that relate to vaping and heat-not-burn.
Sometimes he’s even been known to write about the topic, usually in a lively manner.
On the rare occasions Paul isn’t reading or writing about vaping he takes a break from his computer by playing games. On his computer.
Paul has his own website at www.factsdomatter.co.uk
Worked as a lawyer for 25 years, Played a leading role in cases acting on behalf of Haemophiliacs infected with AIDS and Hepatitis from faulty blood products imported from USA. Played a leading role in cases acting for people claiming injury as a result of Benzodiazapine class drugs, Played a leading role against PMI, BAT, RJ Reynolds and others in early UK cases against the tobacco companies. Areas of specialisation. Medical Negligence and Injury caused by medical malpractice.
Currently owner of an English learning academy in Spain, Smoker of Tobacco, though increasingly using HnB alternatives. Core beliefs, Nicotine does not create dependency and is relatively no more harmful than caffeine (in doses encountered in regular smoking) The main cause of illness in smokers is linked to the 4,500 other chemicals present in tobacco combustion.
Pro; Freedom of individual choice based on informed consent. Anti; State interference in peoples individual choices. I favour further investigation into the effects of all drugs. Individual informed choice is paramount. Strongly support the use of alternatives to smoking cigarettes which are proven to cause damage throughout the human body. Essentially, I am a libertarian. The state has no business dictating the parameters of your personal life provided it does not injure, exploit or cause unnecessary distress to others.
A Texan transplant living happily in England since the end of 2017, Shannon is known to be a bit on the weird side. Being married to Paul and best friends with Fergus will have that effect on you.
Having made the switch to vaping in March 2014 and being a passionate advocate for Tobacco Harm Reduction on various social media platforms (mostly Twitter, before she got unfairly kicked off for reasons unrelated to vaping), Shannon has seen more than her fair share of disinformation being spread about the incredible technology that changed her life (in more ways than one). In January 2016, she had “I am one of #ABillionLives” tattooed on her inner left forearm.
Shannon is a proud dog mum to a precious English Springer Spaniel named after a Harry Potter character (Sirius Black) and owner of obscenely large podcast, audiobook, and music libraries. She can easily get lost in a dystopian novel, and her favourite book is George Orwell’s ‘1984’.
