Alex Norcia has announced his departure from Filter Mag.
My last piece, on my last day, for @Filtermag_org. https://t.co/t76zqfTkLq
— Alex Norcia (@Alex_Norcia) February 14, 2023
Alex was the News Editor for Filter and has previously held the roles of a reporter / copy editor at VICE. Plus he has had work published in the New York Times magazine, Los Angeles Times and many other outlets.
Filter Mag was launched in September 2018 and lives in New York City USA.
Their mission is to advocate for Harm Reduction in many areas including drug use, drug policy, tobacco and human rights issues.
The Influence Foundation – a non-profit organisation – owns and operates Filter. The aim of the foundation is to advocate through Journalism for compassionate and rational approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights.
His final article for Filter is titled “Tobacco Harm Reduction Reflections, as My Years of Reporting End“.
In this article he says…
“I’ve reported and written close to 200 articles on tobacco harm reduction (THR). In that period, we’ve seen ever-increasing controversy and polarization around THR, and growing coverage—rarely fair—from mainstream media.”
He covers his departure from Filter…
“Today, I’m departing from Filter—and from journalism, though I will remain involved in THR. So I have to say goodbye, in some respects, and many thanks to the readers who have trusted me and stuck along all these years. I hope my love for the topic has always been clear. Before I started covering THR, I had little sense of an insular, passionate world. Since then, I’ve met many inspiring and brilliant individuals who devote their careers and lives to fighting for people’s right to accurate health information and access to safer options. I’m glad I was able to give a platform to voices and issues that weren’t being heard.”
I contacted Alex for a comment and he told me…
“It’s been a thrill to report on tobacco harm reduction, and while I’m sad to leave Filter, I’m excited for what’s ahead. And I’ll have more to say on that very soon.”
We would like to wish Alex all the best for the future and to thank him for his important work spreading the word in the Tobacco Harm reduction sphere.
Alex has announced his next move which is as a Senior Manager for Regulatory Advocacy at the tobacco company Altria who are (fingers crossed) moving into the smoke-free market.
Since it’s now public, and as many of you already know: I’m joining Altria as a senior manager for regulatory advocacy. I’ll have more to say once I finish binge-watching this golf series on Netflix, but I’m amped to start — and will hopefully have a much bigger impact on THR.
— Alex Norcia (@Alex_Norcia) February 15, 2023
Thankfully he will still be involved in the world of THR! You can keep up to date by following him on Twitter https://twitter.com/Alex_Norcia.
Taking a short break, but I’ll be back in the vape and THR space again very soon.
— Alex Norcia (@Alex_Norcia) February 8, 2023
“It took me some time to realize that we were seeing the early stages of another drug war.”@Alex_Norcia, who departs Filter today, reflects on his experiences of tobacco harm reduction reporting: https://t.co/NL8BzDIj1j
— Filter | harm reduction journalism (@Filtermag_org) February 14, 2023
Responses To The News
Two years ago, @Alex_Norcia joined @Filtermag_org to report mainly on THR. He did so just astonishingly well, with scoop after scoop, and editing besides. Now he leaves for new pastures.
Thank you for everything, Alex – it’s been such a pleasure! And we’ll see you around! 🙏 https://t.co/XarNy1b7T5
— Will Godfrey (@godfreywill) February 14, 2023
Here’s @Alex_Norcia on #THR advocates for his final @Filtermag_org story:
“I’ve met many inspiring & brilliant individuals who devote their careers & lives to fighting for people’s right to accurate health information & access to safer options.”https://t.co/aODL0s4bff
— The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (@GlobalStateTHR) February 15, 2023
Been awesome getting to know you man. Wish you the best of luck and you better stay in touch!
— Matt Culley (@MattFromSMM) February 9, 2023
Thank you for all you have done and will continue to do for us. We truly appreciate it and you. Good luck on your next adventure. 🥂
— Allison (@alli_vapes) February 9, 2023
Definitely gonna miss you and your articles
Good luck— Rawg Slinkard (@Rawgster) February 9, 2023
Alex you are an outstanding reporter and writer. I do hope you will keep writing. Thanks for all that you have done covering THR and vaping. You will be sorely missed!
— Regulator Watch (@RegWatchCanada) February 15, 2023