Delighted to announce the first Forest event of the year.
The Pleasure Zone on Wednesday February 22 will feature a short presentation by Dr Neil McKeganey, director of the Centre for Substance Use Research and lead author of the recent report, The Pleasure of Smoking: The Views of Confirmed Smokers.
Following Neil's presentation there will be Q&As and a balloon debate on the subject 'The most pleasurable nicotine delivery device in the world'.
Contestants are:
Judy Gibson, International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations
Angela Harbutt, founder, Liberal Vision
Mark Littlewood, director-general, Institute of Economic Affairs
Ranald MacDonald, managing director, Boisdale Restaurants
Andrew Stewart, Pipe Club of London
Format is as follows. Each contestant will have three minutes to make a case for one of these products:
Cigarette, cigar, pipe, e-cigarette and heated tobacco.
We were hoping to get someone to advocate snus but that would have involved flying someone in from Sweden!
The audience will then vote and the 2-3 contestants with the lowest number of votes will be thrown overboard (metaphorically speaking).
The remaining contestants will be given a further minute to persuade the audience that they should win and the result will be determined by one final vote.
Venue is the Institute of Economic Affairs in London. The main event starts at 7.00pm but you are invited to join us for drinks (courtesy of Boisdale) from 6.15.
To register email events@forestonline.org.
Update: Pleased to confirm that Chris Snowdon, head of the IEA's Lifestyle Economics Unit, will advocate for snus. Should be fun so register now!