About the SCaH Organisers

Planning for the first Smoking Cessation and Health UK conference was initiated back in 2019 by Heidi Croucher who was saddened by the loss of a dedicated UK meeting point for professionals working in smoking cessation and related services.  While the UK has taken a global leadership position on tobacco control and continues to make bold in-roads to drive down smoking prevalence and the associated death and disease burden, it is clear that there is still considerable work to do.

If we are to achieve the UK’s Smokefree 2030 ambition and lower smoking prevalence to 5% of the population, it is vital that we reach further in to different communities and move smoking cessation and prevention to the top of the health agenda.  To do this, we need to utilise all tools available, share our experiences and challenge inequalities in provision.

Smoking Cessation and Health is a collaborative project and has brought together like minded people and professionals to develop the event and build a homeland for the smoking cessation community.  We are grateful for the time and commitment from our informal steering board and thank them for their dedication and support to grow the SCaH community for all.

Tobacco industry declaration

The UK is a party to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and so has an obligation to protect the development of public health policy from the vested interests of the tobacco industry. As SCaH is a health conference attended by government employees no sponsors or speakers will be allowed to attend if they have any direct or indirect links to, or receive funding from, the tobacco industry. Those who work for the tobacco industry or tobacco industry owned companies will not be allowed to attend as delegates.

Hilary Wareing

Director of iPiP

Improving Performance in Practice

Hilary has a background in health service research and management as well as a clinical background in general nursing, midwifery and health visiting. She is particularly interested in using asset-based approaches in the development and implementation of public health initiatives and supporting organisations to implement evidence-based practice. Hilary has a long history of working in tobacco control. Work she is currently involved in includes vape and tobacco use in young people, reducing the availability of illicit vapes, system wide approaches to reducing smoking in pregnancy and the implementation of the national incentives scheme, and leading CLeaR peer reviews to support evidence based system wide action.    

Dr Debbie Robson, RMN, PHD

Senior Lecturer in Tobacco Harm Reduction

King's College London

Debbie Robson RMN, PhD. Senior Lecturer on Tobacco Harm Reduction & Mental Health Nurse, King’s College London Debbie works with the Nicotine Research Group in the National Addiction Centre.  Her work involves evaluating tobacco dependence treatment pathways in mental health, substance use and acute settings, and also assessing the effectiveness and harms of vaping in young people and those with mental health problems. She is a co-author of several annual evidence reviews about vaping, commissioned by PHE/OHID and is a Trustee of ASH.

Martin Lever

Tobacco Health Improvement Lead, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Freelance Consultant Trainer

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde

Martin is the SCaH Joint Lead Convenor. He has worked in tobacco control since 2006, designing and managing acute, community and mental health programmes. Presently, he is the Tobacco Health Improvement Lead at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. A behaviour change clinical specialist, Martin has a strong interest in evolving the frontiers of smoking cessation practice and interventions, particularly when working with marginalised and deeply entrenched smokers. A freelance trainer, Martin has delivered smoking cessation training for practitioners on behalf of national organisations, including NHS England South West and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training (NCSCT).

Heidi Croucher

Dorset Integrated Care System Treating Tobacco Dependency Programme Manager, Lead Implementation Midwife, NHS England

Public Health Dorset

Heidi is the Founder and Lead Convenor of SCAH – this annual national conference that brings professionals together with an interest in smoking cessation to share the latest evidence based research and practices. Heidi has worked in tobacco control since 2015, running learning events and networking opportunities is what brought SCAH into fruition in 2019. Heidi has lead a number of smokefree pregnancy projects, and treating tobacco dependency programmes across the region’s Integrated Care System. In 2023, Heidi joined the national prevention team supporting the implementation of the Long Term Plan.

Amanda Strange

Owner

The E-Cigarette Summit/Smooth Events

Amanda Strange is the owner and founder of Smooth Events, a specialist event management and marketing company with a proven track record of producing high level conferences and events within the scientific, environmental, public health and human rights field.  Amanda conceived of and launched The E-Cigarette Summit in 2013 at The Royal Society in London at a critical point in history when both public health experts and regulators were negotiating the TPD (European Tobacco Products Directive) and grappling to understand a consumer driven product that was on an unprecedented growth trajectory.  The Summit welcomes over 300 delegates each year and a Washington Summit was added to the portfolio in 2016.  Amanda is delighted to support the Smoking Cessation and Health Conference, to facilitate the sharing of best practice and new initiatives in reducing the burden of smoking related death and disease.


   

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