FAQs | Updated | April 2005

Frequently asked questions

What does FOREST stand for?
Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco.

When was it founded?
It was launched in 1979 by a former Battle of Britain fighter pilot (and pipe smoker) Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris who died in 2004. Legend has it that he was standing on the platform at Reading station in Berkshire, puffing on his pipe, when an old biddy walked up and demanded that he put it out. He was so annoyed that he decided to get a few like-minded individuals together and launch a campaign to defend smokers' rights. The rest, as they say, is history.

Who funds you?
Most of our money is donated by tobacco companies.
A smaller sum comes from Friends of FOREST (ordinary smokers and the occasional wealthy benefactor). Contributions from the latter are increasingly important  because funds have become increasingly tight in recent years as companies such as Philip Morris decided that placating government is more important than defending the hard-pressed consumer.

OK, but aren't you still just a mouthpiece for the tobacco industry?
Not at all. We speak our mind as we see fit and we guard our independence jealously - whatever the cost. In 2001, for example, our decision to pursue a successful campaign against Customs and Excise (see Cross-Channel Shopping) cost us dearly when the tobacco company Gallaher decided that because of our work in this area it would withdraw funding. C'est la vie. We represent smokers (who want to smoke) and tolerant non-smokers, not the tobacco industry.

Do you have any well-known supporters?
The late great Auberon Waugh, editor of the Literary Review, was a member of our Supporters' Council. Jeffrey Bernard (also departed) wrote a foreword to the FOREST Guide to Smoking in London. Another friendly face was the comedian Jo Brand, a former Smokers Rights Champion of the Year, but she's given up smoking and is keeping her head down. Today our most outspoken supporter - he's also our patron - is TV chef and restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson who regularly appears on TV and radio defending the freedom to choose. Another active supporter is musician and writer Joe Jackson. More recently our Supporters Council has been joined by artist David Hockney, inventor Trevor Baylis and Oscar-winning playwright Ronald Harwood. Most recently (February 2005) we received messages of support from multi-millionnaire publisher Felix Dennis, Spectator editor (and Conservative MP) Boris Johnson, and former Tory Chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick.

Do you know any celebrity smokers?
There are hundreds if not thousands of 'celebrity' smokers, too many to name. Here's a few: Peter O'Toole, Billy Connolly, Russell Crowe, Kate Moss, Anne Friel, Jeremy Irons, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Robbie Williams, Geri Halliwell, Kathy Burke, Johnny Depp, Sophie Dahl, David Hockney, Laurence Marks, Julian Clary, Kate Winslet, Lionel Blair, Nicky Haslam. Then of course there are high profile journalists such as A A Gill (Sunday Times), Ann Leslie (Daily Mail) and Sue Carroll (Daily Mirror); sportsmen such as Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and former England cricketers Mark Butcher and Phil Tufnell (well, we think it was tobacco he was smoking); and retired sportsmen such as Ian Botham and former Lions captain Willie John McBride. That's just for starters. Honestly, the list is endless.

Do you know any politicians who smoke?
Few will admit it these days. Apparently some Labour MPs have been known to beg photographers not to take pictures of them when they're smoking. They'd rather be caught with their trousers down. Those who couldn't give a damn include, within Labour ranks, Tony Benn and Stephen Pound MP. Among the Tories you'll find former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke (who famously works for British American Tobacco). Best known smoker among the Liberal Democrats is their leader Charles Kennedy. Unfortunately Charlie's even better known for his drinking. Former smokers include Health Secretary John Reid and (of course) Tony Blair himself.

Does FOREST have any regional spokesmen?
We have a spokesman in Scotland (Brian Monteith, now a member of the Scottish Parliament, is a former Scottish spokesman) but we are essentially London-based. We will nevertheless travel to all parts of the country if and when required.

Do you honestly believe that smokers have rights?
Put it this way, we don't believe that smokers have the right to light up whenever and wherever they want. We urge smokers to be considerate to those around them, especially children. We do however believe that smokers - who still represent at least 25% of the adult population - should be accommodated where it's possible to do so without inconveniencing non-smokers. Why does smoking have to be banned in ALL enclosed public places? What's wrong with smoking rooms or, better still, decent ventilation which remove most of the tobacco smoke and allow smokers and non-smokers to socialise together? This is a freedom of choice issue, which is why so many non-smokers support our work. 

So you accept restrictions on smoking?
Of course. We understand the desire for restrictions on smoking in many public places - theatres, cinemas, shopping malls and public transport, for example. And because we believe in choice (for smokers and non-smokers) we support more smoke free areas in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Nevertheless we resist calls for a complete ban because we believe that, with the help of technology (improved ventilation, for example), prohibition is completely unnecessary. It is quite possible to accommodate smokers without inconveniencing non-smokers. Where private businesses are concerned (and that includes pubs and restaurants), we think it's up to the owner to devise a policy on smoking that best suits his business. It has nothing to do with politicians or, God bless 'em, anti-smoking busybodies.

Surely health considerations are paramount?
Of course health is important but it's not the only factor. We accept that government has a role to play educating the nation about the health risks of smoking (and other activities) but in a free society freedom of choice and market forces are equally important. We believe the anti-smoking culture that is developing in Britain is profoundly unhealthy because it encourages some people - employers and politicians, for example - to openly discriminate against a significant minority of the population. What next? Is government going to target fat people or those who - in the eyes of health campaigners - drink too much?

What about the rights of non-smokers to breathe clean air?
We always urge smokers to be mindful of those around them but, let's be honest, the anti-smoking brigade is a bit precious at times. For heaven's sake, most of us live and work in an urban environment full of car fumes and other chemicals so why make such a fuss about a little bit of tobacco smoke that is massively diluted in the surrounding air? In the real world we all have our likes and dislikes and we therefore have to be tolerant of other people's habits, one of which is smoking. 

What is your policy on underage smoking?
FOREST represents adult smokers. Adults are old enough to make a mature decision about whether or not they wish to smoke, taking into account the health risks and other factors such as cost. Children, in our opinion, are not which is why we don't want anyone under 16 to smoke. We are also against underage smoking because the issue is frequently used as a stick with which to beat adult smokers. Ban tobacco advertising, we were repeatedly told, because it allegedly influences children to start smoking. No mention of the adults who are now being denied legitimate information about a perfectly legal consumer product.

Do you provide information about smoking to children?
We can't control access to the information on our website, but if you are under 18 and want further information (documents, reports etc) for a school essay or debate we do need a written request signed by your parent or teacher. This is to protect us as much as it is to protect you.

If you have any additional questions you would like us to answer, write to questions@forestonline.org

See also: About FOREST and Support FOREST

Filed 01/03/03
Updated 19/04/05