Kiran Sidhu
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social
BAFTA Cymru award-winner, writer, journalist & Prospect columnist. Author of 'I Can Hear The Cuckoo'. Contributor to The Guardian, Observer, I Paper, etc.
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"The strategy, as many have reflected, appears to be that if you can’t win the argument, try to discredit the messenger," writes
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It’s little wonder, then, that in the runup to COP11, such attacks seem to have escalated."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It’s little wonder, then, that in the runup to COP11, such attacks seem to have escalated."
Personal Attacks on THR Proponents Ramp Up Amid COP11 - Filter
Tobacco harm reductionists have grown used to operating under fire as they seek access to safer nicotine products to help ...
filtermag.org
November 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
"The strategy, as many have reflected, appears to be that if you can’t win the argument, try to discredit the messenger," writes
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It’s little wonder, then, that in the runup to COP11, such attacks seem to have escalated."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It’s little wonder, then, that in the runup to COP11, such attacks seem to have escalated."
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"Some did state that nicotine causes cancer."
Deeply unhappy with colleagues' misrepresentations, an Australian medical professional organized education sessions.
Given health authorities' views, she spoke with
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social on condition of anonymity:
Deeply unhappy with colleagues' misrepresentations, an Australian medical professional organized education sessions.
Given health authorities' views, she spoke with
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social on condition of anonymity:
Inside One Hospital, a Discreet Project Fights Doctors' Nicotine Bias
A health worker in Australia became so frustrated that she began organizing education sessions, without the authorities' knowledge.
filtermag.org
November 12, 2025 at 3:21 PM
"Some did state that nicotine causes cancer."
Deeply unhappy with colleagues' misrepresentations, an Australian medical professional organized education sessions.
Given health authorities' views, she spoke with
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social on condition of anonymity:
Deeply unhappy with colleagues' misrepresentations, an Australian medical professional organized education sessions.
Given health authorities' views, she spoke with
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social on condition of anonymity:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
For the very first time, more adults in Britain are using vapes than are smoking cigarettes.
This crossover point is a "massive milestone," one expert tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. Yet the "consumer-led revolution" is under threat:
This crossover point is a "massive milestone," one expert tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. Yet the "consumer-led revolution" is under threat:
“Massive Milestone” as Vaping Overtakes Smoking in Britain
For the first time, more people vape than smoke. It's a landmark crossover point—but there are threats to this "consumer-led revolution."
filtermag.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:28 PM
For the very first time, more adults in Britain are using vapes than are smoking cigarettes.
This crossover point is a "massive milestone," one expert tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. Yet the "consumer-led revolution" is under threat:
This crossover point is a "massive milestone," one expert tells @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. Yet the "consumer-led revolution" is under threat:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"Prohibition is unfortunately the default response to complex issues.”
Denver has decisively voted to uphold its vape flavor ban, despite harm reductionists' warnings, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social.
Michael Bloomberg contributed $5 million to the ban campaign:
Denver has decisively voted to uphold its vape flavor ban, despite harm reductionists' warnings, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social.
Michael Bloomberg contributed $5 million to the ban campaign:
Denver Voters Uphold Flavor Ban, in Blow to Tobacco Harm Reduction
Michael Bloomberg donated $5 million to the ban campaign. The referendum result could damage smoking cessation and local businesses.
filtermag.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
"Prohibition is unfortunately the default response to complex issues.”
Denver has decisively voted to uphold its vape flavor ban, despite harm reductionists' warnings, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social.
Michael Bloomberg contributed $5 million to the ban campaign:
Denver has decisively voted to uphold its vape flavor ban, despite harm reductionists' warnings, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social.
Michael Bloomberg contributed $5 million to the ban campaign:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"Pouches with higher nicotine levels can make a vital contribution by delivering the satisfaction people may need if they’re to avoid returning to deadly cigarettes," reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "But they won’t perform this role if they’re not available."
High-Nicotine Pouches Help People Stay Off Cigarettes—If Available
As with vapes, people who smoked heavily are likely to need higher-strength pouches as a safer alternative. Yet access is often blocked.
filtermag.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:07 PM
"Pouches with higher nicotine levels can make a vital contribution by delivering the satisfaction people may need if they’re to avoid returning to deadly cigarettes," reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "But they won’t perform this role if they’re not available."
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Kiran Sidhu thinks of her house as an instrument: a gong whose sound can be heard long after it has been struck and which resonates across generations.
My surprise correspondence with a stranger
Emails from the former owner of my house bring me joy
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
October 26, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Kiran Sidhu thinks of her house as an instrument: a gong whose sound can be heard long after it has been struck and which resonates across generations.
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
“This is a dreadful public health policy, likely to disproportionately affect the poor and marginalized."
With Ireland already badly failing on its smoking-cessation goals, the heavy new vape tax will hit people who've switched and deter others from doing so, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
With Ireland already badly failing on its smoking-cessation goals, the heavy new vape tax will hit people who've switched and deter others from doing so, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Ireland Is Failing at Smoking Cessation. Now It Will Tax Vapes Hard.
The highest-in-the-EU rate will particularly impact poor and marginalized populations who smoke the most, advocates say.
filtermag.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
“This is a dreadful public health policy, likely to disproportionately affect the poor and marginalized."
With Ireland already badly failing on its smoking-cessation goals, the heavy new vape tax will hit people who've switched and deter others from doing so, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
With Ireland already badly failing on its smoking-cessation goals, the heavy new vape tax will hit people who've switched and deter others from doing so, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
“Classifying vapes alongside betting shops as ‘undesirable’ businesses completely ignores their proven health benefits of harm reduction."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Government Consultation Amid UK Plan to Treat Vape Shops as “Unwanted”
The questions posed by the government don't sound pro-harm reduction, as a new scheme could subject shops to NIMBYism.
filtermag.org
October 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
“Classifying vapes alongside betting shops as ‘undesirable’ businesses completely ignores their proven health benefits of harm reduction."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
“We are at a fork in the road."
Malaysian experts say the planned prohibition will not only impede smoking cessation, but also prompt an influx of more of the adulterated vapes that the government is reacting to.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Malaysian experts say the planned prohibition will not only impede smoking cessation, but also prompt an influx of more of the adulterated vapes that the government is reacting to.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Malaysia’s Impending Vape Ban Poses Multiple Threats
Malaysian experts fear more of the adulterated products that prompted the government's plan, besides damage to smoking-cessation efforts.
filtermag.org
October 7, 2025 at 2:43 PM
“We are at a fork in the road."
Malaysian experts say the planned prohibition will not only impede smoking cessation, but also prompt an influx of more of the adulterated vapes that the government is reacting to.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Malaysian experts say the planned prohibition will not only impede smoking cessation, but also prompt an influx of more of the adulterated vapes that the government is reacting to.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
“As always, the question arises as to what they have to hide.”
Organizers' “worst-case scenario is to have people who have benefited from tobacco harm reduction telling their stories."
As COP11 looks to exclude pro-THR voices, advocates fear the policy outcomes, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Organizers' “worst-case scenario is to have people who have benefited from tobacco harm reduction telling their stories."
As COP11 looks to exclude pro-THR voices, advocates fear the policy outcomes, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
WHO’s COP11 Will Threaten Tobacco Harm Reduction Behind Closed Doors
The November event has a registration process designed to "exclude rather than include"—and advocates fear the results.
filtermag.org
September 29, 2025 at 2:39 PM
“As always, the question arises as to what they have to hide.”
Organizers' “worst-case scenario is to have people who have benefited from tobacco harm reduction telling their stories."
As COP11 looks to exclude pro-THR voices, advocates fear the policy outcomes, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Organizers' “worst-case scenario is to have people who have benefited from tobacco harm reduction telling their stories."
As COP11 looks to exclude pro-THR voices, advocates fear the policy outcomes, reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Study suggests vapes are "increasingly acting as a ‘gateway’ for children,” the Guardian claimed, “undermining falling rates of teen smoking.”
It doesn't show that, Dr. Arielle Selya tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, and the researchers' interpretation exhibits "confirmation bias":
It doesn't show that, Dr. Arielle Selya tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, and the researchers' interpretation exhibits "confirmation bias":
Media, Researchers Fuel More Vape Misperceptions
A Guardian article highlights a questionable study, emphasizing a groundless claim that it demonstrates a youth "gateway effect."
filtermag.org
August 25, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Study suggests vapes are "increasingly acting as a ‘gateway’ for children,” the Guardian claimed, “undermining falling rates of teen smoking.”
It doesn't show that, Dr. Arielle Selya tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, and the researchers' interpretation exhibits "confirmation bias":
It doesn't show that, Dr. Arielle Selya tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, and the researchers' interpretation exhibits "confirmation bias":
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Demand persists and many retailers still sell disposable vapes—reflecting what advocates say was always an ill-conceived ban.
"Introducing policies without working out the tangible impacts screams of lip service," one consumer tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
"Introducing policies without working out the tangible impacts screams of lip service," one consumer tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Disposable Vapes Still Widely (and Predictably) Sold in Post-Ban UK
Demand persists and many retailers still sell them, research indicates—reflecting what advocates say was always an ill-conceived policy.
filtermag.org
August 13, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Demand persists and many retailers still sell disposable vapes—reflecting what advocates say was always an ill-conceived ban.
"Introducing policies without working out the tangible impacts screams of lip service," one consumer tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
"Introducing policies without working out the tangible impacts screams of lip service," one consumer tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Women's mass switching to nicotine pouches in recent years (when tobacco snus uptake was always higher among men) is accelerating Sweden's world-leading "smoke-free" progress.
"But why have pouches been so much more of a game-changer for Swedish women than snus?" asks @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
"But why have pouches been so much more of a game-changer for Swedish women than snus?" asks @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Pouches Close Sweden’s Tobacco Harm Reduction Gender Gap - Filter
Sweden’s use of the oral tobacco product snus has led it towards becoming the world’s first “smoke-free” country (defined as ...
filtermag.org
August 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Women's mass switching to nicotine pouches in recent years (when tobacco snus uptake was always higher among men) is accelerating Sweden's world-leading "smoke-free" progress.
"But why have pouches been so much more of a game-changer for Swedish women than snus?" asks @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
"But why have pouches been so much more of a game-changer for Swedish women than snus?" asks @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"To have the best chance of widely replacing cigarettes, a safer alternative needs to match, or preferably surpass, that pleasure. Most people greatly prefer sweet or fruity vapes to their tobacco-flavored or flavorless counterparts."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports on the US landscape:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports on the US landscape:
The Flavor of Harm Reduction: Vapes in a Hostile US
Vaping with flavors versus having to vape without them: The difference might sound trivial. But people whose lives have been ...
filtermag.org
July 31, 2025 at 2:23 PM
"To have the best chance of widely replacing cigarettes, a safer alternative needs to match, or preferably surpass, that pleasure. Most people greatly prefer sweet or fruity vapes to their tobacco-flavored or flavorless counterparts."
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports on the US landscape:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports on the US landscape:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
"Should the new law pass, vaping will be very visibly placed on a par with smoking," reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It also seems inevitable that the burden of fines and escalated fines would fall disproportionately on lower-income people."
“Infantile” UK Plan Would Fine People Who Vape at Bus Stops
Legislation under discussion would visibly equate vaping with smoking, and target lower-income communities, based on "passive vaping" myths.
filtermag.org
July 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
"Should the new law pass, vaping will be very visibly placed on a par with smoking," reports @kiransidhu41.bsky.social. "It also seems inevitable that the burden of fines and escalated fines would fall disproportionately on lower-income people."
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Significantly improved fitness levels among people who switched to vapes or heated tobacco products were measured after just four weeks—comparable, one of the researchers tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, to improvements seen in prior studies of total nicotine cessation:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, to improvements seen in prior studies of total nicotine cessation:
Swapping Cigarettes for Vapes or HTP Rapidly Boosts Fitness, Study Finds
Improved athletic performance could be a powerful motivator for younger people who smoke, especially, the researchers believe.
filtermag.org
July 16, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Significantly improved fitness levels among people who switched to vapes or heated tobacco products were measured after just four weeks—comparable, one of the researchers tells
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, to improvements seen in prior studies of total nicotine cessation:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social, to improvements seen in prior studies of total nicotine cessation:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
She had COPD, had lost a lung and hadn't been able to quit smoking. Yet a respiratory specialist told her “under no circumstance” to try vapes.
It's the kind of thing that happens when vital voices are excluded, #GFN25 speakers agree.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
It's the kind of thing that happens when vital voices are excluded, #GFN25 speakers agree.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Who’s Missing From the Tobacco Harm Reduction Conversation?
A host of experts working with marginalized populations weighed in on this question at the Global Forum on Nicotine.
filtermag.org
July 11, 2025 at 2:34 PM
She had COPD, had lost a lung and hadn't been able to quit smoking. Yet a respiratory specialist told her “under no circumstance” to try vapes.
It's the kind of thing that happens when vital voices are excluded, #GFN25 speakers agree.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
It's the kind of thing that happens when vital voices are excluded, #GFN25 speakers agree.
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
The first time Charlie Chaplin used his voice in a film, he wielded it to forcefully condemn the rising forces of fascism around the globe.
Will we listen to his words today?
Will we listen to his words today?
July 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The first time Charlie Chaplin used his voice in a film, he wielded it to forcefully condemn the rising forces of fascism around the globe.
Will we listen to his words today?
Will we listen to his words today?
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association will end its active advocacy in August due to lack of funds.
By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Leading US Nicotine-Consumer Voice Falls Silent
Consumer Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives will end its active advocacy in August due to lack of funds.
filtermag.org
July 1, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association will end its active advocacy in August due to lack of funds.
By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
By @kiransidhu41.bsky.social:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
Global hostility reflects "fear, ignorance or vested interests,” said Chilean advocate Ignacio Leiva. “Stay informed and always respond with truth, dignity and real people’s stories—that’s how we shift the narrative.”
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Nicotine Consumer Advocates Share Strategies, Support Amid Hostility
Consumers, targeted by exclusion and smears worldwide, are the heart of the tobacco harm reduction movement, as GFN in Warsaw reflects.
filtermag.org
June 25, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Global hostility reflects "fear, ignorance or vested interests,” said Chilean advocate Ignacio Leiva. “Stay informed and always respond with truth, dignity and real people’s stories—that’s how we shift the narrative.”
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
@kiransidhu41.bsky.social reports:
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
June 17, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Kiran Sidhu
When I moved to rural Wales from London, people assumed I was swapping a big life for a small one. But living here has challenged my idea of what a big life really is, writes Kiran Sidhu.
www.prospectmagazine...
www.prospectmagazine...
My ‘big’ life in rural Wales
In the countryside, the small details have more meaning
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
June 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
When I moved to rural Wales from London, people assumed I was swapping a big life for a small one. But living here has challenged my idea of what a big life really is, writes Kiran Sidhu.
www.prospectmagazine...
www.prospectmagazine...