FOREST

FOREST (an acronym for "Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco") is a United Kingdom political pressure group that campaigns for the right of people to smoke tobacco and opposes attempts to ban or reduce tobacco consumption. FOREST also disputes the health risks of smoking.

While FOREST describes itself as the "voice and friend of the smoker",^[1] the organization has been characterized as a front group, as it is organized and funded by the tobacco industry and has generated little grassroots interest.^[2] According to internal memos, the tobacco industry designed FOREST to be controlled "through a third party, so that there would be no direct contact between tobacco company personnel or TAC and the director."^[2]

History

FOREST was officially founded in 1979 by former Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris.

In 1987 Lord Harris of High Cross, general director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (1957-1989), was appointed chairman, a position he held until his death in October 2006. A long-term pipesmoker and an outspoken critic of public smoking bans, Harris wrote numerous articles and essays on the subject of passive smoking.^[3]

FOREST spokesmen appear regularly on television and radio in the United Kingdom and are frequently quoted by British newspapers as representatives of a pro-tobacco viewpoint.^[4][5][6] Despite this media visibility, FOREST's internal communications to the tobacco industry argued that its real successes "cannot be publicised":

Measuring FOREST purely in terms of media coverage denies the existence of other work in which it is engaged but which cannot be publicised. In short, if others can be persuaded to "sing the same tune" this is of more value than anything that might be said by the tobacco industry itself, or FOREST.^[7]

Funding and membership

FOREST has been described as an astroturf group created and primarily funded by the tobacco industry.^[8] Its establishent was planned by the Tobacco Advisory Committee, the British tobacco industry trade association. At a 1979 meeting, the Tobacco Advisory Committee discussed the launch of FOREST as well as ways to maintain its appearance of independence.^[9]

After its founding, grassroots interest in FOREST was meager and failed to make the organization self-financing, despite aggressive membership campaigns.^[2] In one instance, 10,000 cigarette retailers were solicited to join FOREST, but only 4 joined.^[10] Thus, financial support from the tobacco industry remained the major source of funding for FOREST, while funding from outside the industry was minimal.^[2]

Notwithstanding efforts to create the appearance of independence, the Tobacco Advisory Council controlled leadership at FOREST. Internal industry memos stipulated: "If money invested [in FOREST] is to be properly effective then control and management are essential." Contact between the Executive Director of FOREST and the Tobacco Advisory Council was envisaged "on an almost daily basis."^[11]

Recent developments

In recent years FOREST has attracted the support of several high profile smokers including artist David Hockney, inventor Trevor Baylis, musician Joe Jackson, restaurateur and TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson, and Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas. In September 2005 Hockney, Jackson and Fox all spoke at a fringe meeting organised by FOREST at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.

In February 2006, FOREST lost its fight against a total ban on smoking in enclosed public places in England from Summer 2007. This includes all pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants, as well as workplaces and private members clubs. Similar bans have come into force in Northern Ireland (Spring 2007) and Wales (April 2007). Scotland introduced its own public smoking ban in March 2006. Despite this, FOREST says it will continue to fight for freedom of choice. Current slogans include "Smokers are voters, too", "Enough is enough" and "Nanny state? No thanks".