Via jredheadgirl I was alerted to an article in the Kansas Reporter.
The headline reads Congratulations, you are part of Big Tobacco and it begins:
If you oppose smoking bans for any reason — property rights, individual liberty, you like smokers — you’re now apparently part of Big Tobacco.
That article, published on Friday, reminded me of a briefing document written by ASH for the All Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health.
It's entitled Tobacco front groups and third party lobbying tactics and it starts with the following statement:
This document has been prepared by ASH for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health and sets out a summary of information in the public domain at the current time about front groups and third party advocates with links to the tobacco industry and their role in the recent UK legislative process.
It goes on to list the following "Organisations and their links with the tobacco industry":
Adam Smith Institute
Alcan Packaging
Alliance against IP Theft
American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union
Anti-Counterfeiting Group
Association of Convenience Stores
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers
Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP)
British Brands Group
British Chamber of Commerce in Belgium
British Retail Consortium
Cato Institute
Confederation of British Industry
Confederation of European Community Cigarette Manufacturers
Deloitte
Democracy Institute
European Cigar Manufacturers’ Association
European Communities Trademark Association
European Policy Centre
European Policy Forum
European Rolling Papers Association
European Roundtable of Industrialists
European Risk Forum
European Smoking Tobacco Association
European Smokeless Tobacco Council
European Travel Retail Council
Federation of Small Businesses
FORCES
FOREST
Fraser Institute
Freedom to Choose (F2C)
Global Intellectual Property Centre
Independent Retail News
Institute of Economic Affairs
Interbrand
International Chamber of Commerce
International Trademark Association
ISBA (Incorporated Society of British Advertisers)
Leicester Asian Business Association (LABA)
Liberal Vision
London Economics
Markenverband
National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators
National Federation of Retail Newsagents
Nude Brand Consulting
Privacy International
Progressive Vision
Responsible Retailers
Rural Shops Alliance
Save Our Pubs and Clubs
Scottish Grocers Federation
Sinclair Collis
Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue
Transatlantic Public Affairs
The Free Society
TICAP (The International Coalition Against Prohibition)
Tobacco Industry Platform
Tobacco Manufacturers Association (TMA)
Tobacco Retailers Alliance (TRA)
Tobacco Workers Alliance
Union ales Fabricants (Unifab)
Unite
UK Travel Retail Forum
The briefing also lists "PR firms with tobacco links" and politicians who have accepted hospitality from tobacco companies.
In a section called 'Astroturfing' it mentions the online magazine Spiked plus a number of individuals including me, Patrick Basham (Democracy Institute), Mark Littlewood (Institute of Economic Affairs) and Chris Snowdon (Velvet Glove Iron Fist).
The gist of the document is that everybody mentioned is either a front group or an apologist for Big Tobacco and anyone who has ever had a meeting with or exchanged correspondence with the tobacco industry is, by definition, a stooge of BT.
In fact, by extension I guess it means that anyone who is opposed to extreme tobacco control measures – comprehensive smoking bans, the display ban, plain packaging etc – is also part of Big Tobacco's "evil" web.
The idea that we have minds of our own and can think for ourselves is obviously beyond ASH's comprehension.
You can download the report here.