Audrey Silk: voice of the smoker USA
Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at 9:43 This time next week I shall be in New York.
Having waited twelve years to return to the city, it will be my second visit in four weeks.
The InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel (to give it its full title) is the venue for the 2017 Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) and I'm taking part in one of the sessions: 'Risk and Regulation: The Impact of Excessive Legislation on Consumer Behaviour'.
One of my regular complaints about tobacco and nicotine-related conferences is the fact that consumers – current smokers especially – are frequently marginalised or excluded from the debate.
Instead of being part of the conversation they are lectured or, worse, patronised. Smokers (and even vapers) are victims of an addiction over which they have no control. They need our help!
Today the few consumers who are invited to speak tend to be ex-smoking vapers but it's rare for them to be given a keynote address. Most of those slots are reserved for 'public health' professionals and long-standing anti-tobacco campaigners.
The chances of someone who likes smoking and doesn't want to quit being asked to speak are virtually nil because that's not what the organisers (or delegates) want to hear.
The same goes for researchers who ask pertinent questions such as "Why don't more smokers switch to using e-cigarettes?" and get the awkward response, "Because I enjoy smoking!"
Again, it's not what 'public health' (or even the tobacco industry) wants to hear.
In other words, most tobacco-related conferences are not only blind to the fact that many smokers don't want to quit, they stubbornly ignore the reality that millions of smokers don't find alternative nicotine products very attractive.
Surely this is worth discussing? Apparently not. Consumers, it seems, are only worth engaging with if they have stopped smoking or have bought into the bogus notion that if every smoker switched to vaping a billion lives will be saved and the 'most harmful epidemic (sic) known to man' will be eradicated forever.
Even GTNF, an industry-led conference that began in 2008 as the Global Tobacco Network Forum, has become something of a platform for smoking cessation advocates.
Don't get me wrong. I've no problem with GTNF focusing on harm reduction and emerging products – it's a natural evolution for a tobacco industry event – but as long as millions of adults enjoy smoking, know the risks and don't want to quit, their interests and concerns should be addressed as well.
They should also be represented on panels and other platforms.
To be fair, the voice of the confirmed smoker can still be heard at GTNF (unlike other conferences) but it's increasingly peripheral.
Which leads me to GTNF 2017. After the usual lobbying on my part I was askd to put together a panel to discuss consumer issues and since we were going to be in New York the first person I thought of was Audrey Silk.
If you've never heard of her, here's a quick resume, courtesy of her bio:
Audrey is the founder of the grassroots smokers’ rights group Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (CLASH). A 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department, she retired in 2004. In 2005, she ran for New York City mayor at the invitation of the Libertarian Party.
Based in New York City and originally formed in 2000 to protect and advance the interests of the city and state residents who choose to smoke, CLASH ultimately became active nationally.
In addition to numerous appearances on major cable news networks such as CNN and Fox News, Audrey has been profiled in the New York Times and various documentaries.
Aside from participating at public hearings and meeting with lawmakers, CLASH has launched several court battles challenging the legality of certain anti-smoking laws in New York, including the ban on the use of e-cigarettes.
Her latest CLASH-led campaign, 'Smoking is Normal', is designed to reassure adults who choose to smoke, and to impress on society that smokers are not the villains or victims that public health advocates portray them to be.
The New York Times profile is, I think, a reference to a 2011 article about her homegrown tobacco. Audrey calls it 'Screw You Bloomberg'. This 2012 video explains why.
I'm looking forward to seeing her because when I visited New York in 2005 we arranged to meet at her house in Brooklyn but the meeting never took place. Here's what happened.
It was a blisteringly hot day. I was wandering around and it took me ages to get a taxi. Eventually, after hanging about on a street corner close to Macy's, the famous Manhattan department store, a taxi finally stopped and I hopped in.
I gave the driver Audrey's address but overestimated his ability. Thirty minutes after we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge it dawned on me he had no idea where we were, or where we were going, and I had no idea either.
He was from Armenia, I think. He spoke very little English. He rang someone – his brother, perhaps – to help with directions. Meanwhile he kept on driving, looking for landmarks.
In desperation I tried calling Audrey (this was pre-smart phones) but my battered old Nokia wouldn't connect to her number. Eventually, with the meter ticking and any hope of finding her house long gone, I instructed my hapless driver to return to Manhattan.
The afternoon wasn't entirely wasted because on the return journey I asked him to drop me off at one of the handful of cigar bars in Manhattan.
The bar was air-conditioned but it wasn't plush. In fact it was quite scruffy and differed from an ordinary bar in just one respect – you could smoke a cigar indoors without the threat of prosecution.
Apart from two other customers and the barman it was also completely empty.
When I returned to my hotel later that evening I sent Audrey an apologetic email, explaining what had happened, but her terse response suggested she wasn't impressed and I've felt guilty about it ever since.
Twelve years on I will do my best to make amends.
Reader Comments (6)
Thank you for highlighting Audrey Silk and her battle against antismoker tyranny in NYC. She is at the vanguard of fighting the persecution of smokers and her voice needs to be amplified.
It is time to stop the persecution of smokers and time to expose the tobacco control lies and exaggerations used to impose unnecessary smoking bans. It is important that the world know that many smokers do not choose to quit or move to vaping. While supporting the choice for vapes to vape; it is essential that the rights of smokers to smoke is preserved. It is also essential that the public know that the second hand smoke research has been contaminated by tobacco control lies in order to impose smoking bans. Smoking bans must be reversed or amended to allow smoking areas. the move toward imposed prohibition, including excessive taxes on tobacco must stop.
I look forward to hearing about the event, your trip to NYC, and especially Audrey's presentation in future essays here at Forest.
Audrey is brilliant. She's not the least bit cowed by the powers she's up against, and she's tireless in her pursuit of justice and fairness for smokers. I get the impression that she doesn't suffer fools gladly, and can be quite acerbic with the drones who just repeat the TC soundbites, parrot fashion.
We need more of her ilk.
What a nice surprise. Thanks so very much for your gracious spotlight, Simon. Only one point of contention... I did not intend to be "terse" (if that was the tone you inferred) about our failed meeting all those years ago. If I recall, the problem was the name of my street which I know many NY cabbies mix up with other more well-known similarly sounding streets. I believe that's what I explained to you... as an **explanation** because I'd seen it happen before, not a criticism... in my reply to your email. That you have lived with 12 years of guilt over something I did not mean to convey now leaves ME with guilt and ME who might have to make amends :-)
It's amazing how similar tobacco plants and leaves are to comfrey plants and leaves. Comfrey is one of natures most perfect plants for healing. Might tobacco be one of them as well? Perhaps that's why the FDA controlled by big pharma wants to ban all of them. They certainly don't want anything natural in our bodies, they only make chemicals. I hope Audrey can help the cause for billions of people who's freedoms have disappeared!
Marlene
Of the Tabaco and of His Greate Vertues
“THIS herb, which commonly is called tobacco, is an herb be of much antiquity, and known amongst the Indians, and in especially among them of the new Spain, and after that those countries were gotten by our Spaniards, being taught of the Indians, they did profit themselves of those things, in the Wounds which they received in their Wars, healing themselves therewith, to the great benefit of them"
http://archive.tobacco.org/History/monardes.html
Medical Uses of Tobacco Past and Present
https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/docs/#id=ztdw0044
It's so awesome that you two are finally going to get to meet up in person! Have a great time in New York Simon!