Dear Barbara, please accept my (late) condolences for the loss of Neil, a big hearted guy you have had to share with a worldwide advocacy community for many years. 

As you likely know, Neil and I somewhat parted ways in the 90s due to the stresses of our different roles. But we always remained on speaking terms. Our working partnership in the 80s was very productive and hinged mostly on Neil’s highly knowledgeable leadership.

The NGO community’s tremendously positive impact on the smoking issue owes a lot to the pioneering work Neil did back in the 1970s putting the tobacco issue on the country’s and the world’s policy radar.

When I started working with Neil, I was leaving one failing policy venture (cannabis) for another one that seemed even more quixotic. I was soon disabused of that notion. Everything I know about tobacco and policy advocacy I learned from Neil’s example.

We even had some fun with the onerous challenge of pushing proposals thru the bureaucracy. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that back in the 80s we were activists disguised as officials. And against the odds and my expectations we were successful in getting legislation in place and, eventually defending it against legal challenges.

Neil had a dry sense of humour that appealed to me and made our bureaucratic struggles tolerable. We were “pushing on a string” in the ship of state. “the only one that leaks from the top”. As Neil would say “not your high & mighty situation”.

To sum up Barbara. I have a lot to thank Neil for and I am dumbfounded that he is no longer with us. He left behind a big family and millions of folks we’ll never know whose lives are longer and healthier as a result of Neil’s dedication. A very consequential life, though no doubt somewhat cold comfort. On a personal level. I wish the best for you and your family moving onwards, as we all must.

Byron