Professor Ann McNeill
Ann McNeill is a Professor of Tobacco Addiction in the National Addiction Centre. She is Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS, www.ukctas.ac.uk) an international consortium of 13 universities funded by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. Ann graduated from the University of Nottingham with a first class joint honours degree in zoology and psychology and then carried out her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, focusing on the development of dependence on smoking. Since that time she has held a variety of academic and public sector posts focusing largely on tobacco control research. Ann has an established international reputation, receiving a World Health Organisation World No Tobacco Day award for contributions to tobacco control in 1998. She has published more than 250 academic papers book chapters, reports and opinion pieces on the subject and her research ranges across prevention, cessation, harm reduction and local, national and international policy. Ann was a co-author of the recent systematic review of tobacco product packaging which underpinned the recent government consultation on plain packaging and has a particular interest in the relationship between smoking, mental health and inequalities. Ann is interested in any PhD students with an interest in all aspects of smoking and tobacco control research.
The White Paper: An overview and the evidence base for smoking cessation
In December 1998, the British government produced its fIrst ever White Paper on smoking: Smoking Kills. This detailed a comprehensive strategy to reduce smoking prevalence in Britain with three main target groups: the young, current smokers, particularly those who are most disadvantaged, and pregnant smokers. A range of measures were introduced including support for the Europe-wide ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship and a new £50m publicity campaign. A key part of the White Paper was the recognition that smoking is an addiction and that many smokers need help in quitting. New monies were allocated to developing NHS smoking cessation services. The evidence base for these new developments in smoking cessation will be discussed.