Public trust in health authorities and how actions on nicotine erode that trust

Relationships are built on trust, and achieving public health objectives is closely tied to public support. Yet public health bodies often resort to coercion rather than empowerment and actively mislead the public ‘for their own good’. Trust-destroying misinformation combined with a failure to disseminate accurate information is endemic on issues of nicotine. The public is massively misinformed about relative risks and often denied access to reduced risk products. The resulting health costs and destruction of trust have implications for health issues broadly and to the legitimacy of government institutions. This panel will examine the problems and seek to identify solutions.

Chair: David T. Sweanor, J.D.

Speakers:

• Martin Cullip
• Filip Tokic
• Mary Stamp

Speakers