Tobacco consultation a "joke" says Forest
12/12/2008
The smokers’ lobby group Forest has condemned the government’s public consultation on future tobacco controls as a “joke” and says the response has been “manufactured” to support the Department of Health’s proposals.
Dismissing the results of the consultation, announced this week by the DH, Forest director Simon Clark said: “This wasn’t a public consultation. It was a public sector consultation. Most of the groups that responded are publicly funded, and thousands of respondents were public sector employees, many of them health professionals.”
Of the 96,515 responses, said Clark, the overwhelming majority were pre-written postcards or e-mail campaigns by state-funded anti-smoking groups: 49,507 came from Smokefree North West and 8,128 from Smokefree North East. A further 10,757 came from D-MYST, SmokeFree Liverpool’s youth organisation.
“The DH is shameless. Not only does it fund many of these groups, it gave the anti-smoking organisation ASH £191,000 for its ‘Beyond Smoking Kills’ report.
“Surprise, surprise, research commissioned by ASH for the report found a ‘high level of public support’ for a range of tobacco control measures including a ban on tobacco display at the point of sale and a ban on tobacco vending machines, the very same proposals that were put forward by the DH in the consultation document.”
Clark noted that: “In 2006 ASH boasted that ‘campaigning of this kind is literally a confidence trick’ and that ‘it is essential that campaigners create the impression of inevitable success’.” (1)
He urged people not to fall for another ‘confidence trick’, and added: “The government appears to have held talks with every stakeholder with the notable exception of the consumer, the people who actually purchase and consume tobacco.
“There are at least ten million smokers in Britain. They are entitled to be consulted properly on an issue that could have a major impact on their lives, especially the way they are treated and perceived by their employers other members of the public.”
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Forest condems plan to ban tobacco displays in shops
09/12/2008
The smokers’ lobby group Forest has condemned the government’s plan to ban cigarette displays in shops, announced today.
Forest director Simon Clark rejected the claim, by health secretary Alan Johnson, that multi-coloured displays encourage young people to start smoking.
“Very few countries have banned point of sale display so there is very little evidence that putting tobacco under the counter has a significant, long-term impact on youth smoking rates.
“A display ban will inconvenience millions of consumers and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of small retailers. It’s gesture politics, designed to denormalise adults who wish to purchase and consume a perfectly legal product.
“In future it will be easier to buy a pornographic magazine than a packet of cigarettes. What message does that send to people of all ages?"
Dismissing the results of the consultation on the future of tobacco control, published today by the Department of Health, Clark said: “This wasn’t a public consultation. It was a public sector consultation. A significant number of respondents were public sector workers, many of them health professionals employed by the state. Needless to say, they supported the government's proposals.”
Clark added: “The government seems to have held talks with every stakeholder with the notable exception of the consumer, the people who actually buy the product. There are at least ten million smokers in Britain. They are entitled to be consulted properly on an issue that could have a major impact on their lives, especially the way they are treated and perceived by other members of the public."
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Forest urges government to reject "gesture politics"
03/12/2008
Responding to the Queen's Speech today, the smokers' lobby group Forest has urged the government not to use legislation to denormalise tobacco and coerce smokers to give up.
Forest director Simon Clark said: “Banning the display of tobacco in shops is gesture politics which the country can ill afford at any time, let alone during a recession. There is no evidence that it will have any impact on the health of the nation or the number of teenagers who smoke. All it will do is alienate ten million adult smokers and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of small retailers."
Clark dismissed claims by the anti-smoking group ASH that "the public support the toughest possible measures" and accused ASH of playing a "confidence trick".
He pointed out that in July 2006 Deborah Arnott, director of ASH, wrote an article in which she declared that: "It is essential that campaigners create the impression of inevitable success. Campaigning of this kind is literally a confidence trick: the appearance of confidence both creates confidence and demoralises the opposition."
Today, said Clark, ASH is employing the same tactics to persuade ministers to support the removal of tobacco products from public view. He called on government to recognise this "confidence trick", and added:
"We urge ministers to adopt a sensible, pragmatic approach to tobacco control that balances the need to protect children whilst defending the interests of adults who choose to purchase a legal consumer product."
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Forest wins BBC apology
17/11/2008
The smokers' lobby group Forest has won an apology from BBC Radio Northampton after a presenter compared smokers to alcoholics.
Bob Walmsley, who hosts the station's consumer affairs programme, made the on-air apology 48 hours after an interview last week with Forest spokesman Neil Rafferty on Redbridge Council’s decision by to ban smokers from fostering.
During the interview Walmsley compared placing a child with foster parents who smoke to placing a child with alcoholics. He also stated that smokers were unfit parents.
Walmsley told listeners: "I gave an opinion comparing alcoholics to smokers. This was an unfair comparison to make and if this has caused offence I am genuinely sorry about that. It was not my intention."
Rafferty said: "We're more than happy for presenters to play devil's advocate but Bob Walmsley crossed the line and exposed his own prejudice. His statements were ill-informed and offensive to smokers across the country.
"I welcome his apology and the fact that BBC Northampton dealt with our complaint so promptly and efficiently.
"But sadly, in my experience, too many BBC local radio presenters are breaching the corporation's editorial rules on impartiality, particularly when it comes to the controversial issues surrounding tobacco.
"They are using licence payers' money to further the anti-smoking agenda and that is not acceptable."
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ASH report "misleading" and "unreasonable"
07/10/2008
The smokers’ lobby group Forest has criticised a new report by the anti-smoking group Action on Smoking and Health, describing it as "misleading" and "unreasonable".
Responding to the claim that smoking costs the NHS £2.7 billion a year, Simon Clark, director of Forest, said, "I don't know where ASH get their figures from but even if they are accurate, which I doubt, they are very misleading.
"Far from being a drain on society, smokers make an enormous financial contribution. Each year smokers pay over £9 billion in tobacco taxation, a figure that dwarfs the alleged cost of smoking to the NHS. Without it, government would have to increase income tax by as much as 6p in the pound, or cut NHS spending.
"Banning the display of tobacco in shops and introducing plain packaging is designed to denormalise smoking and embarrass smokers into giving up. That's no way to conduct public policy.
"It's one thing to educate people about the health risks of smoking, but these proposals go way beyond what is reasonable in a free society. They represent not just the nanny state but the bully state, and they demonstrate how unreasonable the war on tobacco has become."
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Forest slams introduction of graphic images
26/09/2008
The smokers’ lobby group Forest has criticised the introduction of graphic health warnings that will start to appear on cigarette packets from October 1st as new stock arrives.
Simon Clark, director of Forest, said, “We support measures that educate people about the health risks of smoking, but these pictures are designed not just to educate but to shock and coerce people to give up a legal product.
“They are unnecessarily intrusive, gratuitously offensive, and yet another example of smokers being singled out for special attention.
“The government seems determined to humiliate smokers until they behave in a state-approved way. Well it won’t work. Far from giving up, most smokers are likely to say enough is enough and reach for their fags in defiance.”
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Stop the denormalisation of smokers, says Forest
07/09/2008
Forest, the smokers lobby group, is demanding an end to the demonisation of smokers in Britain.
Submitting its response to the government's consultation on the future of tobacco control (closing date Monday 8th September), Forest said the proposals were the latest attempt to stigmatise smokers and bully them into quitting.
Forest has lodged its opposition to the proposed bans on tobacco displays and vending machines and instead called for much stronger enforcement of the 18 age limit to prevent children purchasing tobacco.
Simon Clark, director of Forest said, "These latest proposals will do nothing to protect children. Instead they are part of a relentless and aggressive government campaign to discriminate against adult smokers.
"What this amounts to is demonisation. Smokers are to be shamed, insulted and patronised until they learn to behave in a government approved way.
"Worryingly, there is even a suggestion that smoking could be banned in cars and homes. Enough is enough. It's time to reclaim our lives from the bully state."
Clark added: "The country is facing a recession and fears over violent crime, and what does the government want to do? It wants to hide tobacco under the counter! What next? Alcohol? Fizzy drinks? Confectionery?"
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Forest calls on Europe to adopt Spanish policy on public smoking
30/07/2008
Responding to a ruling by the high court in Germany that says smoking bans in two states are unconstitutional, Forest has urged governments in Europe to adopt the Spanish policy on smoking in public places.
Director Simon Clark, said: “In Britain there is clear evidence that the smoking ban is threatening to put a lot of pubs out of business. Those with no outdoor facility, such as a beer garden or sheltered patio, are finding it very hard to compete with larger pubs and clubs.
“The best solution, for Germany, the UK and the rest of Europe, is to adopt the Spanish policy whereby bars over 100 square metres can opt to have a separate smoking room, while smaller establishments can choose to be ‘smoking’ or ‘non-smoking’.
“We urge governments at home and abroad to support a policy on smoking that gives bar owners, their staff and their customers, a degree of choice, and doesn't damage their business.”
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Forest launches campaign to amend the smoking ban
01/07/08
The smokers’ lobby group Forest has called on members of parliament to amend the public smoking ban and allow licensed smoking rooms in pubs and clubs. Speaking at a reception hosted by Philip Davies MP for Forest in the House of Commons on Tuesday July 1st, director Simon Clark will tell MPs:
“The comprehensive nature of the smoking ban is out of all proportion to the risk from passive smoking. Many pubs and clubs have suffered serious economic hardship and for many smokers the social impact has been equally severe. Smokers may have adapted to the ban, but that doesn’t mean they support it. There is still a great deal of anger and resentment at the extent of the ban, which is out of step with most European countries."
Announcing the launch of a new campaign to amend the legislation, Clark will add: “Our message to politicians is simple. Tobacco is a legal consumer product. In Britain at least ten million adults smoke. A huge number enjoy smoking and have no intention of giving up. If anything, the ban has made them more determined than ever not to quit.
“Many smokers are staying at home instead of going to their local pub or club. The ban is creating social exclusion, loneliness and unemployment. It is very unfair, especially on older smokers. For some mental health sufferers the impact of the ban has been devastating.
“Smokers are not going to disappear like a puff of smoke, so let’s be fair and practical about this. We are asking the government to amend the legislation so that pubs and clubs can apply for a license to introduce well-ventilated separate smoking rooms. We want to bring back some element of choice for consumers, owners, and members of staff.”
Forest press release 010708
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Forest slams "further tobacco control measures"
31/05/2008
Banning the display of tobacco products will do little to combat youth smoking, the smokers' lobby group Forest said today. Responding to the launch of a public consultation to consider tougher tobacco control measures, the group’s director Simon Clark said: "The best way to tackle youth smoking is through education and proper enforcement of the legal age limit. Banning point of sale display will make smoking even more attractive to teenagers. Worse, it will drive many smokers towards cheaper counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes. If politicians really want to control the sale and availability of tobacco, bans are not the answer. The only people who benefit are black market operators.”
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Forest urges MPs not to fall victim to another “confidence trick”
21/05/08
On the eve of a public consultation on further tobacco control measures, Forest has warned warns MPs not to fall for another “confidence trick”. In a letter to MPs, director Simon Clark writes, “Public policy should be based not on a ‘confidence trick’ but on facts. To date, there is little evidence that banning the point of sale display of tobacco has a serious impact on youth or adult smoking rates. Banning point of sale display will have little impact on existing smokers, who will simply ask for their current brand of tobacco, although it clearly restricts their ability to choose an alternative brand.
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Scottish government trying to ban smoking by stealth, says Forest
21/05/08
Banning 10-packs and the display of tobacco products will do nothing to combat youth smoking and is simply another crude attempt to bully adult smokers into quitting, the smokers' rights group Forest said today. Neil Rafferty, Forest's Scottish spokesman, said: "There is little evidence to suggest that point of sale bans do anything to reduce youth smoking rates. If a teenager can afford two packs of ten in the space of a week, they can afford one pack of 20. You may as well ban small bars of chocolate.
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Increased cost of tobacco will hit elderly and less well off, says Forest
12/03/2008
Responding to the 2008 Budget speech, Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "We welcome the Chancellor's decision to reject an increase in tobacco duty above the rate of inflation, but the increased cost of cigarettes will still hit those who can least afford it, especially the elderly, the low paid and the unemployed ..."
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Public health: musician attacks "nannies, prigs and bullies"
26/02/2008
On the eve of a world tour to promote his new album Rain, musician and Forest supporter Joe Jackson has renewed his attack on the smoking ban and claimed that public health has "abdicated its true purpose, healing the sick, in favour of social engineering".
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Former MSP attacks "lifestyle fascists"
19/02/2008
Brian Monteith, former Conservative MSP and now policy director of Forest's Free Society campaign, has criticised a proposal that smokers should have to apply for a permit to buy tobacco. "The initial price is irrelevant. By raising the price each year and tightening the qualification, fewer and fewer people will be permitted to smoke until, eventually, millions of people have been priced out of the market or the sale of tobacco is illegal."