Dr Carolyn Beaumont is an Australian general practitioner and tobacco harm reduction (THR) educator. Since 2020 she has worked within Australia’s unique vape prescription model, gaining first-hand insight into the health equity impacts of restrictive nicotine policy via engagement with thousands of adult smokers and vapers.

Her pragmatic “no lecturing, no judgement” approach has proven highly effective in encouraging smokers to consider safer alternatives, incorporating a preventive care focus for the early detection of lung and cardiac disease.

Her consultancy service ‘NicotineFacts’ educates health professionals in THR.

She is currently writing her first book, ‘Unfiltered’. Armed with the knowledge that most readers have the attention span of a goldfish, and faced with the challenge of convincing not only health professionals but pretty much everyone that 8 million annual preventable smoking-related deaths are just not on … ‘Unfiltered’ aims to entice, educate and even entertain the audience. Officially written for health professionals, but with plenty of wise-cracking footnotes that translates for the general reader, it draws on interviews with surgeons, physicians, scientists, policy experts and even the youth rock music industry. Smoking-related harm is uncoupled from nicotine. Common misperceptions are challenged, consumer perspectives are included, teenage vaping is explored from unexpected angles, and doctors are given pragmatic tips on how to engage and motivate a smoker to quit. Chapters such as ‘Three cardiologists enter a bar’, ‘Lies, damned lies, and public health policy’, ‘Meanwhile, somewhere in New Zealand’ and ‘The World Health Organization goes to couples counselling’ set the tone that ranges from serious to satiric.

The first edition of ‘Unfiltered’ is aimed at the Australian nicotine landscape. If not relegated to the remainders bin, future editions will explore other countries. Yes, Europe, I’m looking at you.