News Releases
New Year Message plus Review of the Year 2021
Fri 31st December, 2021
Dear Friend of Forest,
It's been another difficult year for many people. The good news is that there seems to be light at the end of the long Covid tunnel but I remember writing that last year so let's not get ahead of ourselves!
My personal view is that if we want to return to 'normal' we will have to learn to live with Covid and its variations and accept that going to pubs, restaurants and other indoor public places will always carry some risk so excessive restrictions are not the answer now we are post peak pandemic.
Instead, and unless ministers wish to trash the economy and individual liberties completely, governments must put choice and personal responsibility first, giving adults the freedom to make informed decisions without intrusive and heavy-handed measures that are sometimes driven more by politics than by evidence.
Much like tobacco control, in fact.
Talking of which 2022 will present several challenges for confirmed smokers. For example, the Welsh Government recently launched a 'consultation' designed to progress its target of a 'smoke free' (sic) Wales by 2030. The closing date is 31st January 2022 and we would encourage friends of Forest to participate, even though the consultation appears to be weighted heavily in favour of those who support the government's smoke free goal.
We also await the publication of the UK government's new Tobacco Control Plan which is designed to achieve the same ambition for England. Measures that have been lobbied for by the tobacco control industry included a multi-million pound levy on tobacco companies (that would almost certainly be passed on to the consumer), extending the smoking ban to pavements outside pubs and restaurants, reducing the prevalence of shops that sell tobacco, raising the age of sale to 21, and printing health warnings on individual cigarettes.
Covid has given governments an unprecedented reason/excuse to impose extraordinary restrictions on the population. Some of those measures have probably been justified, temporarily at least, but it's our job to ensure that, having acquired a taste for strict and sometimes oppressive regulations in the name of public health, it does not become the default position of politicians and public health officials.
Smokers know all about oppressive regulations so let their experience of the slippery slope and creeping prohibition be a warning to everyone who values individual liberty.
In the meantime, from all of us at Forest, have a happy New Year and here is our Review of the Year 2021.
Simon Clark
Director, Forest
30th December 2021
In this section
Browse Stories
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2022
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2021
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December
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November
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October
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September
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August
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July
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June
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May
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March
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February
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2020
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November
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October
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September
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August
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July
- Forest condemns Local Government Association call to ban smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants
- Forest condemns move to ban smoking outside pubs and cafes
- Forest rejects claim that plain packaging was responsible for "accelerating" decline in cigarette sales
- Scotland's CMO told to stop fuelling "unwarranted fears" about smoking and vaping
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May
- Councils must prioritise help for local businesses not stop smoking services
- Menthol cigarette ban is a "gross restriction on consumer choice that will do nothing to stop children smoking"
- Prohibition: A bad idea that won't go away
- Almost three million smokers unaware of menthol cigarette ban
- Forest slams call for new rules on smoking outside pubs and cafes if government relaxes lockdown regulations
- Menthol cig ban will hit smokers at the worst possible time says Forest
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April
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March
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February
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2019
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October
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September
- Implying that smokers are a financial burden to society is "dishonest" and "economically illiterate" says Forest
- Ban on flavoured e-cigarettes would be a "massive own goal"
- Ireland: ‘Butt Out’ campaign aims to stop cigarette vending machine ban
- Poll: Public split on effectiveness of tobacco control laws
- Ban on flavoured e-cigarettes would be "criminal", says Forest
- Budget 2020: "Give smokers a break" says Forest Ireland
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August
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July
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May
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March
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February
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January
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2018
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December
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November
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October
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September
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August
- "A bin the butt campaign that ignores the importance of bins is a bit of a joke, to be honest."
- Vaping not a substitute for all prisoners who smoke, says Forest
- Prisons minister urged to amend prison smoking ban
- Cautious welcome for report on e-cigarettes
- Forest condemns Welsh Government plans to extend the smoking ban
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July
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June
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May
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April
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March
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February
- Lift ban on vaping on hospital grounds, says Forest
- Forest Ireland criticises ban on smoking at three mental health units in Cork
- Ireland: Forest attacks proposal to ban smoking in outdoor areas where food is served
- War on smoking has gone far enough, Forest tells mayor
- E-cigarettes: "You can't force smokers to switch if they don't want to"
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January
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2017
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December
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November
- Plain packs: Forest calls for UK policy review following "five years of failure" in Australia
- Budget 2017: Poor sacrificed on altar of public health, says Forest
- Senator wins 'nanny-in-chief' award
- NGOs and politicians to be honoured at 'Golden Nanny Awards' in Dublin
- Tobacco tax: give smokers a break, says Forest
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October
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July
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June
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May
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April
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March
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January
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2016
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December
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October
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September
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August
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June
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May
- Health minister should decline WHO award
- Forest urges Government to reject tobacco retailer licensing system
- Forest response to High Court judgement on plain packaging challenge
- Opponents of plain packaging invoke spirit of Churchill
- Tobacco Products Directive treats adults like children says Forest
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March
- Councils urged to review funding of anti-tobacco campaign group
- Allow smoking rooms in Scotland's pubs and clubs, say campaigners
- Poll: Majority of adults in Scotland would allow smoking rooms in pubs and clubs
- Forest welcomes defeat of Public Health (Wales) Bill
- "Increasing cost of tobacco benefits no-one apart from spivs and criminals"
- Forest slams "pointless" car smoking ban
- Poll: Little support for further increases in tobacco taxation
- Increasing tobacco taxation is "economic madness"
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February
- Jury still out on plain packaging says Forest
- Campaigners urge Chancellor to "be fair to smokers"
- Forest slams call for more cash to reduce adult smoking rate
- Axe the tobacco duty escalator, says Forest
- Forest welcomes closure of anti-smoking group
- Forest criticises call to rate movies that portray tobacco use
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2015
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December
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October
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September
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August
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July
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June
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May
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March
- Smoking in cars with children: "education better than big stick"
- Leave health workers alone, says Forest
- Plain packaging process has been a "sham"
- "What next? Standardised packaging for alcohol and sugary drinks?"
- No public desire for plain packaging say campaigners
- Stop the nonsense say critics of plain packaging
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February
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January
- Government must resist temptation to over-regulate electronic cigarettes, says Forest
- Government urged to publish plain pack consultation report "promptly" and "without further delay"
- Forest condemns decision to bring forward plain packaging legislation
- Campaigners urge Scottish Government to reject new laws on e-cigs and tobacco
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2014
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December
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November
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October
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August
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July
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June
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May
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April
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March
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February
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2013
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2012
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August
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June
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March
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February
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January
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2011
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November
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October
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September
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August
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July
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June
- Tory MP leads opposition to ban on smoking in cars
- Inner city pubs stubbed out by smoking ban
- Register now if you want to change the smoking ban
- ASH awarded WHO medal on 40th "birthday"
- Imperial warns of "nanny state"
- Don't discriminate against smokers, Forest tells NHS
- Imperial Tobacco praised for tobacco consultation response
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May
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March
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