How do you begin to honour a person who has had such profound professional and personal influence on so many of us throughout the world? Like some of you who have spent time swimming through waves of disbelief, sadness, anger, and guilt, images of times with John flicker through my head, creating a visual tapestry of this truly unique man.

There is John, the Healer, who devoted his career to easing the pain of those suffering from addiction. Each of his patients treated with such compassion and dignity, while he listened so intently to each unique story. John trained countless legions of physicians and substance abuse counsellors in the USA and in far-off places, like Thailand and the Philippines.

There is John, the Tobacco Strategist. John changed forever our conceptions about nicotine, by demonstrating that smoking was not a “habit” but a powerful addiction—researching industry patents and secret documents to show the world how tobacco companies could take a plant, manipulate it, and lace it with chemicals, turning the cigarette into a lethal nicotine delivery device. His work and persistent prodding convinced President Clinton and FDA Commissioner David Kessler to regulate cigarettes.

John knew better than any of us how to use science for advocacy. He was a provocative and eloquent source for many reporters, be it the New York Times, Wall Street Journal …