The first National Conference for the British Association for Stop Smoking Practitioners (BASSP)..

October 2, 2007 - Be the 1st to know.. The first National Conference for the British Association for Stop Smoking Practitioners (BASSP) in Manchester on September 26, 2007, the topic: whether 'harm reduction techniques affect a smokers health.' The presentations concentrated around the potential for Swedish moist tobacco (SNUS) in harm reduction. Speaking for a greater use and its potential role in harm reduction was Professor John Britton who heads the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Committee in the UK. He argued that it has potential in a carefully legislated and controlled way and should not be discounted. Speaking against the use of SNUS, Dr Keir Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Swansea School of Medicine and a Respiratory Physician from South Wales (UK) argued that the science to date is flawed, with no prospective, randomised controlled trials that show it's usefulness in smoking reduction and you cannot extrapolate retrospective, cross-sectional and often old data from one country into another. He contrasted this lack of good scientific evidence for SNUS in helping smokers quit cigarettes with the clearly known dangers of SNUS and highlighted some of the current advertising and subversive strategies used by it's manufacturers. The audience of over 100 smoking cessation specialists from hospitals, primary care and management within the National Health Service from all over the UK, voted strongly against the proposal to make SNUS more available in their practice. The British Thoracic Society supported the meeting and the keynote speaker (and patron of the newly formed BASSP) was the Member of Parliament Mr Kevin Barron, who is Chairman of the House of Commons Health Select Committee and the man mainly responsible for driving through most of the recent legislation against smoking in enclosed spaces in England. To obtain a copy of Dr. Lewis' presentation.