Info Bank
Recommended reading
The following books, articles and essays provide a useful introduction to the smoking debate. Where appropriate, we have also included some official government advice.
Forest reports
- Smokefree Ideology: How local authorities are waging war on choice and individual freedom
Josie Appleton (September 2020)
- Prohibition: A bad idea that won't go away
Rob Lyons (May 2020)
- Nicotine Wars: The fight for choice
Rob Lyons (October 2019)
- 40 Years of Hurt: The hyper-regulation of smokers 1979-2019
Josie Appleton (August 2019) - Prejudice and Prohibition: Results of a study of smoking and vaping policies in NHS hospital trusts in England
Mark Tovey (March 2019)
- The McNanny State: How Scotland is becoming a puritan's playpen
Brian Monteith, foreword by Allan Massie (June 2018)
- Road To Ruin: The impact of the smoking ban on pubs and personal choice
Rob Lyons (June 2017)
- Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State
Joe Jackson (April 2007)
- Prejudice & Propaganda: The Truth About Passive Smoking
Gian Turci (2005) - Smoking Out The Truth: A Challenge to the Chief Medical Officer
Ralph Harris (2005) - The Smoking Issue
Joe Jackson (2004)
Third party reports funded by Forest
- The Pleasure of Smoking: The views of confirmed smokers
Centre for Substance Use Research (December 2016)
- Smoked Out: The hyper-regulation of smokers in outdoor public places
Dolan Cummings and Josie Appleton, Manifesto Club (October 2015)
- Civil Liberties: Up In Smoke
Simon Davies, foreword by Joe Jackson (June 2011)
Essays
- Smoke, Lies and the Nanny State
Joe Jackson (April 2007), updated version of The Smoking Issue (below)
- Smoking Out The Truth: A Challenge to the Chief Medical Officer (out of print)
Ralph Harris (2005)
- The Smoking Issue
Joe Jackson (2004)
Briefing papers
- Government lobbying government: The case of the UK tobacco control industry
CR Consulting (October 2010)
- Smoking gun: is the smoking ban a major cause of the decline of the British pub?
CR Consulting (September 2010)
Books
- The Bully State: The End of Tolerance (out of print)
Brian Monteith (The Free Society, 2009)
- Velvet Glove Iron Fist: A History of Anti-Smoking
Christopher Snowdon (2009)
- Scared To Death: From BSE to Global Warming
Christopher Booker and Richard North (Continuum, 2007) - La Diva Nicotina: How Tobacco Seduced The World
Iain Gateley (Simon & Schuster, 2001) - The Faber Book of Smoking
James Walton (Faber, 2001)
Tobacco display bans
- Displaying Their Ignorance on Smoking (Cato Institute via Spiked)
Patrick Basham and John Luik (Democracy Institute, 2009)
Public smoking bans
- The Bauld Truth: The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England
A critique of the evidence review using publicly available information
Imperial Tobacco (June 2011) - The Impact of Smokefree Legislation in England: Evidence Review
Professor Linda Bauld, University of Bath (March 2011) - Smoke and mirrors
Deborah Arnott and Ian Willmore (Guardian, July 2006)
Passive smoking
Smoking and health
Smoking at work
Smoking and healthcare
- Why smokers must have equal rights to health care
Professor John Dormandy (Daily Mail, November 2006)
Smoking and mental health
- I smoke for my mental health
David Hockney, Guardian (May 2007) - The unfair smoking ban will mean fuming on wards
Clare Allen, Guardian (February 2007)
Submissions to government
-
Children and Families Bill
Forest submission opposing proposed amendment (banning smoking in cars with children) to the Children and Families Bill (2012/13)
Articles
- How local authorities are waging war on personal freedom
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (September 2020)
- If May really wants a fairer Britain, she should end the war on smokers
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (October 2016)
- Plain speaking on plain packaging
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (March 2015)
- Bob Blackman is wrong. We don’t need a smoking ban in cars to protect children
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (April 2013)
- Scotland's goal of a 'smoke-free' society is conformist and illiberal
Simon Clark, Politics.co.uk (November 2012)
- Whatever happened to the party of business, de-regulation and personal responsibility?
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (March, 2011)
- The state should stop giving anti-smoking groups public money to lobby the Government
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (October 2010)
- The tobacco industry has every right and every reason to lobby government
Simon Clark, ConservativeHome (May, 2010)
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