Many will be saddened to learn of the death of Professor Martin Plant, a respected and acknowledged expert in the substance use field. Martin died of heart failure on 16 March 2010, and will be missed by many. Martin achieved many awards and accolades, all very much deserved. Martin was the Professor of Addiction Studies at the University of the West of England. The journal sends its heartfelt condolences to Moira and Emma Plant. What follows are personal tributes that give some indication of the motivational skills and the nature of the man – Martin A. Plant.
Dr. Sharon C. Wilsnack
Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of North Dakota, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks, North Dakota
I would like to offer a few comments on behalf of the GENACIS project (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study), which I coordinate. GENACIS is a multinational collaborative study of gender, culture, and alcohol that currently involves more than 40 countries. Martin and Moira have been with the project since its beginning in 1993 and are an extremely important part of the GENACIS ‘family’. Martin was a friend, role model, and mentor to GENACIS members, particularly to younger members from lower-income countries. He was always good-humoured, positive and supportive, and incredibly generous in sharing his vast knowledge and experience in substance abuse research. When GENACIS members received the sad news of Martin's passing, there was an outpouring of sorrow, condolence, and commemoration from around the world, including touching tributes from Brazil, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Uruguay. At the exact time of Martin's memorial service on 25 March in Bristol, many GENACIS members gathered in outdoor locations to remember him. The memorials included a snowball fight in Helsinki (with each side wishing that Martin could join them); a member from Uganda and his wife holding Martin's picture as they sat overlooking Lake Victoria; a member in Uruguay walking on a beach near a seagull colony and asking the seagulls to be Martin's guide on his next adventure; and our group in North Dakota gathering in a Japanese garden to remember Martin and toss daffodils in a stream in his memory. Martin was an inspiration to all the members of our group, and he will be greatly missed.
Dr. Eric Single
(Retired) Professor of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Scientific Advisor Emeritus, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
Martin's professional career speaks for itself. Together with Moira, Martin did much to advance addictions research and its application in policy and programming. Martin had an amazing ability to generate interest and attention to issues. The first time I met him was when I invited him to a conference on public drinking problems in Banff about 25 years ago. Martin gave his paper and then went mountain climbing, unaware that his presentation had created a media storm, with stories on his remarks in the front pages of most newspapers in Canada. His somewhat mysterious absence only made the story last longer.
However, I will always remember Martin mainly as a friend. We spent many happy times together watching nature in different places. We tracked radio-collared wolves in Ontario's Algonquin Park, searched for Golden Eagles in the Scottish highlands, photographed magnificent Siberian Cranes in India and even had an angry lion charge at us in Africa. (Fortunately, a thin wire electric fence stopped the lion, even though we later learned that the electricity wasn't turned on at the time.)
Martin had a rare lust for life in everything he did. Once when we were sharing a cottage near Algonquin Park, I took Martin to see bears feeding at the local garbage dump. Two large males began fighting over some food only 70 or 80 m from us. While I collected my daughter and ran back to the safety of our car, Martin ran the opposite direction – towards the fighting bears! He had a camera with him but that wasn't why he approached the bears – he was simply so enthusiastic about seeing the magnificent creatures that he forgot about his own safety. It was typical of how Martin led his life …
I know that I will think of Martin often in the coming years and I will miss him very much. The field has lost a great leader and those who knew him have lost a great friend.
David B. Cooper
Editor-in-Chief, Mental Health and Substance Use: dual diagnosis
I am honoured to count myself as one of the privileged people whose lives were touched by Martin. Everyone has their heroes in life, Martin is mine, someone I aspired to be like – but never quite succeeded. I first met Martin in 1985, when I sent him some rather poor research and asked for his comment. At that time Martin was Director of the Alcohol Research Group at the University of Edinburgh. I was somewhat taken aback when I received a telephone call and an invitation to present at Pitlochry Alcohol Symposium, held twice per year and continuing to this day (although it has moved to Kendal). What really struck home at that time was the invitation to stay with Martin and Moira overnight and travel with Martin and Dave Peck the next day to the venue. What kind of man offers such to someone unknown? I was awestruck by his knowledge, but most of all by Martin's humanity and genuine feeling for people. Over the following years I have made further calls on Martin's time. He was an ardent supporter when I first muted the concept of the Journal of Substance Misuse (later to become the Journal of Substance Use). And that is what he did: supported and befriended. Martin was a man one liked, there was no other side. Writing this I find that there are not the words to express the impact that Martin made on the lives of Jo (my wife) and myself – a very positive, motivating impact that was unique to the man. I will deeply miss Martin, his humour, dedication and drive to change – he was not afraid to speak for those who could not, to stand and be counted; his loss will leave a big gap. Martin Plant was a true Gentle Man and I am privileged that he touched my life.