Beyond nicotine

To no-one's surprise:

Jennifer Motles Svigilsky detests cigarettes. A former human rights lawyer with the United Nations ... [she represents] one of the world’s largest cigarette companies, Phillip Morris International (PMI).

But wait, there's more:

"[In the short term,] we need to provide alternative choices to smokers who cannot quit [or cannot quit yet]."

In the long term, she says, "we may not even be in the nicotine business."

Let that sink in.

"In the long term, we may not even be in the nicotine business."

You couldn’t make it up.

Full article: Philip Morris Is Quitting Smoking — But Don't Take Their Word for It (Sustainable Brands).

The waiting game

Another honours list and still no recognition for the work of two of Britain's leading anti-smoking campaigners.

I first commented on this extraordinary oversight in December 2013:

Why no gongs for the likes of Deborah Arnott, CEO of ASH; Sheila Duffy, CEO of ASH Scotland; Fiona Andrews, director of Smokefree South West; or Andrea Crossfield, director of Tobacco Free Futures?

After all, it's titans of Tobacco Control like Deborah and Sheila who are often credited with introducing smoking bans and other measures that have saved tens of thousands of lives. Allegedly.

Surely they should receive recognition for their services to public health? But, no. The years tick by and Deborah remains plain Ms Arnott. Ditto Ms Duffy.

The following year Fiona Andrews (Smokefree South West) and Andrea Crossfield (Tobacco Free Futures) were indeed awarded MBEs ('Was it something I wrote?') but still nothing for Sheila or Deborah.

It was a similar story in 2015, 2016 and 2017 (Sheila and Deborah snubbed again).

There was however an OBE for Ailsa Rutter, director or Fresh North East (formerly Smokefree North East).

I'm genuinely perplexed. If Deborah's mini me is given an honour, why not the lady herself? And if Sheila Duffy's predecessor Maureen Moore can get an OBE, why not the current CEO?

The good news is that while Duffy has missed out (again) on one of Britain's top honours, her organisation hasn't gone empty-handed this week.

Tobacco control looks after its own.

Judith Mackay presents the World No Tobacco Day Award gold medal to ASH Scotland. pic.twitter.com/3y13SksTGg

— ASH Scotland (@ASHScotland) June 7, 2018

Thunderbolt and lightning

I haven't been posting much recently because I've been very busy, as will become apparent over the next couple of weeks.

Today I'm in Brussels for an event to mark the first anniversary of the launch of Forest EU and the publication of a new report, 'Smoke and Mirrors – The Role of Anti-Tobacco Lobby Groups in Promoting Tobacco Control Policies in the EU', which you can download here.

'Smoke and Mirrors' is the work of our man in Brussels, Guillaume Perigois (above), who says:

The report identifies at least 24 different organisations operating in Brussels pushing for more pervasive anti-tobacco policies. These organisations are staffed with 94 lobbyists and have a self-declared lobbying budget of between €5 and €6 million as per the EU Transparency Register. Far from David vs Goliath, it’s Goliath vs Goliath.

The report also sets out how in 2016 €6 million of EU taxpayers’ money was channelled to these organisations by the European Commission to lobby in favour of policies which the Commission has put forward. For us, such funding amounts to Government lobbying Government and does not promote transparent policy making.

Both the report and tonight's event have been attracting quite a bit of media coverage (no small achievement in Brussels). Yesterday Politico reported:

TOBACCO — SMOKERS’ RIGHTS GROUP GOES AFTER ANTI-TOBACCO NGOs: Forest EU, a group advocating for smokers’ rights in Brussels that is funded by the tobacco industry, is going after “the big four” NGOs that are promoting anti-tobacco policies. In a report to be launched Thursday, Forest EU names the Smoke Free Partnership, the European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), the Association of European Cancer Leagues and the European Public Health Alliance as the organizations relying heavily on EU funding to push “more invasive anti-tobacco policies.”

Forest EU criticizes the funding they receive from the Commission, saying the NGOs do not provide any health service to EU citizens (such as smoking cessation) and are focused instead on reinforcing whatever anti-tobacco policies the Commission comes up with. “The Commission should no longer be the primary funder of lobby groups and should instead focus on funding health outcomes and organizations whose focus is the delivery of health outcomes,” the report says.

This morning Politico carried this response from the Brussels-based tobacco control lobby:

TOBACCO — NGOS RESPOND TO SMOKERS’ RIGHTS GROUP: The four anti-tobacco NGOs singled out in a report we published on Wednesday by the smokers’ rights group Forest EU reacted in a written statement to Morning Health Care.

“We’re delighted with the recognition from tobacco industry front-groups that health organisations are challenging them. It confirms that we’re having the positive impact that our members — health researchers, health workers and patient groups from across Europe — expect us to deliver,” the Smokefree Partnership, the European Network on Smoking Prevention, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and the European Public Health Alliance wrote.

Responding to Forest EU’s accusation that they don’t provide any health outcome, the four said they do work directly with smokers, ex-smokers and patients, including providing cessation support, through their members spread across Europe. The NGOs launched an accusation of their own, saying that Forest EU doesn’t really represent smokers’ rights, “but rather the wishes of their tobacco industry paymasters to keep people hooked."

They may say they're "delighted with the recognition" but the fact that they've issued a written statement suggests we may have ruffled a few feathers.

Meanwhile the following reports are in French or Flemish so I’m a bit in the dark but your language skills may be better than mine:

Rokers houden eigen rokersfeestje (Zita), Waar is dat feestje? In die rookwolk is dat feestje (De Standaard), Les fumeurs se rebiffent et défendent leurs droits (Metro), Rokers krijgen eigen feestje om rustig hun sigaret op te steken: "Volwassenen moeten zelf kunnen beslissen zat se doen of laten” (HLN), Une terrasse à Bruxelles pour défendre les droits des fumeurs: «Les adultes ont le droit de choisir» (L'Avenir.net).

I'm told that last headline reads: 'A terrace in Brussels to defend smokers' rights: "Adults have the right to choose"' while the Metro headline declares, 'Smokers fight back and defend their rights.'

'A terrace in Brussels' is a reference to our venue tonight which features an outdoor smoking terrace with tables, chairs, heaters and twinkling fairy lights.

This morning Guillaume was interviewed by Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) which broadcasts to the French-speaking community in Belgium.

He has also been asked to appear on RTL, Belgium's leading French-speaking TV channel, at the weekend.

The weather forecast suggests that Brussels is going to be hit by a thunderstorm tonight – maybe even a thunderbolt or two – so if that's not an omen I don't know what is.

Update: The dark clouds swirling overhead threatened rain but, miraculously, it held off. Someone – perhaps God himself – was on our side.

Forest EU, one year on

A year ago today Forest EU was officially launched in Brussels.

Over 100 guests, including journalists, researchers, consultants, lobbyists and consumers, attended the launch event that took place in a bar a few metres from the European Parliament.

It was by general consensus a very successful evening, helped in part by the balmy weather that allowed guests to eat, drink and smoke on the terrace outside (see above).

Dan Donovan made a video of the occasion and elicited some interesting comments from guests:

"I'm made to feel like a leper because I choose to smoke," said one. "I know the risks but I also feel I shouldn't be made to feel ostracised."

"I'm not a smoker but I stand for smokers' rights because it's about freedom of choice and equality," said another.

A third commented, "Ever since I started smoking I've always felt bad about the fact that I'm a smoker. So for me, being in an environment where people are like, 'No, you should be allowed to smoke', it's very interesting. It's given me a different perspective on my habit as a smoker."

A fourth said, "Here we are all adults, we know the risks, and if I want to light a cigarette please let me do it."

My favourite comment however was this one:

"An organisation like this speaks for me, as a smoker."

Since then Forest EU has hosted a number of events in Brussels and Strasbourg. Speakers have included Prof Neil McKeganey (Centre for Substance Use Research and lead author of The Pleasure of Smoking report), Claire Fox (Institute of Ideas), and another professor, Sinclair Davidson (Institute of Policy Research).

Next week there will be another event to mark both the campaign's first anniversary and the publication of a new report that will put a spotlight on the well-funded tobacco control lobby that operates in Brussels.

Politico reports:

Lighting up: Forest EU, a smokers’ rights group, is hosting a “Down with the busybodies” party on June 7 to launch “Smoke and Mirrors,” which it describes as a map of “the anti-tobacco lobby groups in Brussels and their role in promoting stronger tobacco control policies.” Expect jazz and smoke on the terrace.

If you'd like to attend, click here. We'd be delighted to see you.

Back in the GDPR

All that GDPR stuff was a bit of a pain, wasn't it?

I didn’t give it much thought until, earlier this month, I began to receive a trickle of emails (that became a flood) and realised I ought to review Forest's communications policy.

In practise our mailing list fell into three groups: those who had subscribed voluntarily via our existing website, those who had subscribed voluntarily via our old website and had had their data transferred to the 'new' website, and those who had been been added to our mailing list by virtue of attending one of our events.

We had subscribers in 33 countries. The UK led the way, obviously, but we also had a significant number in the USA. Curiously the overwhelming majority of our US subscribers were in California. I'm not sure why.

Anyway I took advice and the received wisdom was that we should err on the side of caution and invite all our subscribers (some of whom went back at least ten years) to re-consent to being on our mailing list. (Consent is key, apparently, and if you transfer or add data there's no proof of consent.)

So that's what we did. The numbers took a bit of a hit but I'm not unhappy with the result. The mailing list was long overdue a good spring clean and if the outcome is a smaller but more engaged group of subscribers I can't see we're any worse off.

My favourite GDPR email (by far) was sent by Josie Appleton, director of the Manifesto Club. Josie wrote:

Dear all,

This is just a note to let you know about privacy and our mailing list.

Our 'privacy policy' is pretty simple:

1. Our mailing list consists of people who have asked to be on our mailing list, in order to be informed of our work.

2. We only use this mailing list to inform people of our work. We do not share it with any third parties or use it for any other purposes.

3. If anyone no longer wants to be on our mailing list, they can click on the 'unsubscribe' button at the bottom of the email, and they will no longer be on our mailing list.

That's it!

All the best,

Josie Appleton

Perfect.

In light of Josie’s email, and subsequent reports that I've read online, I’ve come to the conclusion that there was no need to invite every subscriber to re-consent because, by virtue of the fact that many had subscribed voluntarily, we already had their consent.

Nevertheless we are where we are and our new sign up form now gives subscribers the option to receive newsletters from one or more of the following - Forest UK, Forest Ireland and Forest EU. All you have to do is click here and declare your preference.

If you haven't done so already you may wish to pop across and visit our website now.

Keith Richards – live and unfiltered

Since reading Keith Richards' autobiography and seeing him interviewed by Andrew Marr, among others, I've become a huge fan of the great man.

So thanks to John Burton, one of Forest's non-executive directors (and a bit of an old rocker himself), for drawing my attention to this report in Metro, the free London newspaper:

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards ... was seen having a crafty cigarette during the band’s show in London this week — aptly called their No Filter tour.

He was cheered by the crowd of 70,000 at The London Stadium in Stratford as he lit up, flouting the strict no smoking rule.

But Newham Council said it would not be taking any action because smoking was part of the act. ‘Smoking on stage is permitted “where the artistic integrity of a performance makes it appropriate for a person to smoke”, therefore no action will be taken,’ it added.

Delighted to see the council demonstrate some common sense on the issue but I wonder how much they were influenced, not by this unusual interpretation of the law, but by Keith Richards being rock royalty and 70,000 people cheering him on!

England, as we know, does indeed allow smoking on stage and film sets, but the practice is banned in Scotland and Wales so it will be interesting to see how the authorities react when the Stones play in Edinburgh (June 9) and Cardiff (June 15).

Before then however the band will play at Old Trafford, Manchester, on June 5. Will the local council adopt the sensible Newham approach or will officials use the occasion to promote the region's ambitious plan to 'make smoking history' and create a 'tobacco free Greater Manchester'?

I'll keep you posted.

See also Shock horror: iconic rock star allowed to smoke during BBC interview (Taking Liberties, September 2015).

Below: Keith Richards pictured in Julian Temple's brilliant documentary, Keith Richards: The Origin of the Species, broadcast on BBC Two in 2016. I wrote about it here.

Smoking is a feminist issue – discuss

Delighted to report that our next 'Burning Issues' dinner in Dublin will feature, as guest speaker, Ella Whelan.

Ella is a freelance journalist and author of What Women Want: Fun, Freedom and an End to Feminism. She was assistant editor at the online magazine Spiked and host of the Spiked podcast between 2015-2018.

She appears regularly on Sky News, Any Questions (BBC Radio Four), Daily Politics (BBC Two), RTE, Channel 4, Good Morning Britain (ITV) and many other programmes. She has written for the Sun, the Spectator, City AM, the IBT, Grazia and others.

She is currently researching a book on feminism, transgenderism and what happens when you ask, what does it mean to be a woman?

Following previous dinners that featured Claire Fox ('Is health the new religion?') and Chris Snowdon ('The Nanny State We're In'), the subject of next month's event is 'Smoking is a feminist issue'. Here's the blurb:

For some women in the first half of the 20th century, smoking was a symbol of emancipation and equality with men. Others believe feminism was used by the tobacco industry to exploit women and acquire a new generation of customers.

This patronising view of women continues today. ‘Slim’ and flavoured cigarettes were banned in favour of ‘gender-neutral’ cigarettes for fear they enticed women to smoke. Plain packaging was introduced, it was argued, because the tobacco industry was conspiring to seduce women with ‘glitzy’ or pastel colours.

Mothers who light up, even in the open air, while taking their child to a park or play area, are criticised and frowned upon for a habit that may be one of their few daily pleasures.

In 2018 Ireland is debating a women's right to have an abortion and control over their own bodies. Does a similar argument not apply to women who choose to smoke? Do we need to revive the rebellious spirit of those early 20th-century smokers?

Last year Ella was the recipient of one of Forest's 'Voices of Freedom' awards so we're delighted she can join us in Dublin.

Plain speaking on plain packaging revisited

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the full implementation of plain packaging of tobacco in the UK.

On February 24, 2015, Forest hosted An Evening of Plain Speaking on Plain Packaging.

Speakers included Angela Harbutt (Hands Off Our Packs), John O'Connell (TaxPayers Alliance), Dr Madsen Pirie (Adam Smith Institute), Emily Barley (Conservatives for Liberty), Rory Broomfield (The Freedom Association), Claire Fox (Institute of Ideas), Chris Snowdon and Mark Littlewood (Institute of Economic Affairs).

The arguments against standardised or 'plain' packs are as relevant today as they were then. So here's the video featuring the edited highlights of what, if I say so myself, was a rather splendid event. Standing ovations all round!!