Maria is a Canadian advocate focused on improving access to safer nicotine alternatives and challenging misinformation around nicotine use. With roots in grassroots consumer advocacy, she first became involved through the vaping movement, working to ensure adults who smoke had access to less harmful options. Her work has evolved to take a broader view of nicotine, recognizing that harm reduction extends beyond any single product.
Her approach is direct and evidence-focused, pushing back against stigma and policies that limit access to reduced-risk alternatives. She contributes to national conversations on public health, engages with policymakers, health experts, and community organizations to advocate for balanced, science-based regulation.
Through projects like the Safer Nicotine initiative, Maria works to expose gaps between public perception and scientific evidence, while amplifying the voices of people directly impacted by policy decisions. Her advocacy principle is simple: adults deserve honest information and access to safer options without judgment.
All videos (1)
The real costs of prohibition | #GFN26 Panel #3
1 Jul 2026
At the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN26), leading experts examine one of the most controversial questions in public health: What are the real costs of vaping prohibition?
This panel explores the unintended consequences of restrictive nicotine policies, including black markets, reduced access to safer nicotine alternatives, impacts on smoking cessation, and the broader implications for public health. Drawing on scientific evidence and international experience, the speakers discuss whether prohibition achieves its intended goals—or creates new problems.