The "I Changed My Mind" Project

Evidence that patience, stories, and science really can change minds

While science can change some minds, for others, sharing our personal stories can break through the clouds of doubt and help them see the true potential of tobacco harm reduction (THR). I remember years ago, during the COVID pandemic, sitting outside watching a private screening of You Don't Know Nicotine on a giant inflatable screen.

In the film, Dr. David Abrams explained what had changed his mind. It was both the science and the experiences of people who switched away from smoking. Together, they moved him from believing vaping products should be removed from the market until researchers knew more about them to supporting their use by people who smoke.

From time to time, I’ve run across other examples of people who have changed their minds. Today, I shared my notes with members of the Safer Nicotine Wiki (SNW) team, and they shared theirs with me. Together, those notes became the Safer Nicotine Wiki’s new “I Changed My Mind” page, a growing collection of documented examples of people who reconsidered their views about non-combustible nicotine products and THR. As we discover more examples, we will update the page.

Collecting and cultivating information like this comes naturally to me.

Agriculture has deep roots in my family tree, going back many generations. Even though I do not live on a farm, I honor my heritage in a modern way. Instead of crops, I plant the seeds of lived experience and harvest data.

So, it’s easy to see why I’m a co-founder of the Safer Nicotine Wiki (SNW) and happily spend countless hours compiling information and adding to SNW’s many pages. It’s like a cornfield in my brain, and this new page is my Field of Dreams. My hope is that, if we build a place where people who change their minds are recognized rather than ostracized, more will feel safe enough to step forward. By sharing their changed perspectives, they may help someone quit smoking.

I often stand on a metaphorical hay bale (a farmer’s version of a soapbox) and encourage people to be kind and respectful to each other. Even when they disagree. Sometimes, I get virtual cow pies thrown at me because some people think that strategy is wrong. They believe that those who oppose THR or certain aspects of it will never change their minds, and that it’s a waste of time to engage in respectful dialogue.

But just as it’s hard to change the minds of people who are skeptical of or oppose THR, it can be hard to change my fellow advocates’ minds about the need to stop calling people names and attacking them. When we automatically dismiss people with opposing views as “liars,” we may close the door before evidence or lived experience can reach them. I do not think most of the people with differing views believe they are lying. I think they believe they are telling the truth.

While fighting someone perceived as an “enemy” may feel righteous, if that approach does not change minds, move the THR needle, or save lives, we need to ask whether it is effective.

When I was little, I’d sometimes get angry with people and lash out at them with the harshest words I could think of. My grandpa would shake his head, pull me in close, and whisper in my ear, "You'd move mountains if you learned how to kill them with kindness.”

That is exactly what we are trying to do with this project. By approaching skepticism with patience, stories, and data instead of hostility, we can move mountains together. We hope our new “I Changed My Mind” page gives you hope and inspires you to continue engaging with people who think differently from you. Many of them want to be heard just as much as you do.

If you know of a consumer, family member, advocate, scientist, journalist, public health official, policymaker, or anyone else who changed their mind, please let us know. We would like to continue growing this resource.

Thank you for helping us plant seeds of change.

Until next time…

Notes:

• I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups with which I volunteer. I receive no financial compensation for my efforts to create these newsletters. I use AI to help with spelling, punctuation, grammar, and editing some of my work.