Anti Smoking Groups

Here's what the Anti's are doing in your area.  Please use this list to write to these people, exposing the Anti tactics and show that there is indeed two sides to this issue.

Lists of Anti Groups:

http://www.forces.org/fight/files/watch

http://www.ash.org/nationalorgintro.html

http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/show_info.php?

Anti Groups Lists, Forums, Boards:

A List of 215 Anti's Mailing Lists

http://www.smokefree.net/lists.php

ANR's Mailing List

http://www.smokefree.net/lists.php?pattern=anr

Stan Glantz's Mailing List
His email glantz@medicine.ucsf.edu.

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights:
http://www.no-smoke.org/
Action Alerts, Materials, Calendar.
The ANR Foundation is pleased to present 'Smokefree Air is a Union Issue,' a document highlighting the natural alliance between workers' unions and smokefree advocates and an instructional guide on how to most effectively approach and incorporate unions into smokefree coalitions.
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights
American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation
ANR Foundation
2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite J
Berkeley, CA 94701
510-841-3032
510-841-3071, fax
Josh Alpert Program Manager josh.alpert@no-smoke.org
Bronson Frick Associate Director bronson.frick@no-smoke.org

ASH:
http://ash.org/
Where the Anti's get their material. The ultimate "How To Guide."

IARC:
International Agency for Research on Cancer
Declares second-hand smoke carcinogenic to humans.

Protect Local Control
http://www.protectlocalcontrol.org/
Ensuring Community Rights To Pass Smokefree Ordinances.
Breaking news, click on a State for more information.
Support provided by TTAC.

Smokefree.net:
http://www.smokefree.net/
(AKA: smokefree.org which redirects.)
The goals of SMOKEFREE.net, the SMOKEFREE Network, are:
1. To win the right to breathe smokefree air.
2. To facilitate communication among smokefree advocates.
3. To facilitate communication between smokefree advocates and key decision makers (KDMs).
4. To share information about the tobacco cartel.
5. To provide an integrated login for all websites in the SMOKEFREE.net family.
SMOKEFREE.NET
2100 R Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: 202-no-smoke
Fax: 630-214-4917
Tac@smokefree.net or Joe@smokefree.net
Ban Alerts! See what letters Joe has sent to your state.
Announcements! The Joe Cherner's announcements archives.

Tobacco.org:
http://www.tobacco.org
Headlines and quotes the Anti's use.

Tobacco Documents Online:
http://tobaccodocuments.org/
Where did these documents come from? The vast majority of the documents came from the tobacco industry, and are the same documents available on the industry websites (see www.tobaccoarchives.com).

Tobacco Survivors United
http://www.tobaccosurvivorsunited.org/
TSU is a network of survivors, families, and friends of men and women who have overcome the ravages of tobacco products. TSU: - Helps you put a stop to the tobacco industry's lies - Identifies the power of the tobacco industry over our elected officials - Assists your recognition of deceitful marketing tactics the industry uses to influence our children
Tobacco Survivors United
9141 E. Stockton Blvd
Suite 250-317
Elk Grove, CA 95624
Phone or FAX: 916.686.2043
Laurie Comstock lauriscomstock@aol.com

ttac Exchange: Anti’sresource:
http://www.ttac.org/enews/mailler02-25-04/mailer02-25-04full.html#LinkF
This issue of extra! features Tobacco Scam—an exceptional tool designed to educate tobacco control advocates and members of the hospitality industry about the benefits of CIA ordinances AND the tobacco industry arguments against them.
Read on for just a few of the great resources you can find at this site...
Understand the Issue:
... Get the facts about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/Secondhand/Secondhand_iih.cfm

... Search ANR’s Local Ordinance Database to find 100% smokefree ordinances in your state.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/simply/simply_sft.cfm

... See the polls that show support of smokefree ordinances.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/simply/simply_wpw.cfm

... Learn how to tell a good from bad economic study.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/fake/fake_casehistory_2.cfm

Uncover the Tobacco Industry Tactics:

... Front Groups: Who is the industry hiding behind?

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/target/target_taf.cfm

... Ventilation and Accommodation: The industry has sold restaurants technology that does not protect customers and employees.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/vent/index.cfm

... Cooking the Books: The industry supports fuzzy science to claim dire economic consequences from smokefree regulation.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/fake/fake_ctb.cfm

Don’t Miss:

... In the News: Selection of news stories from around the country about clean indoor air and hospitality issues.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=headlines.list

... The Ads: Tobacco Scam’s ads that can be run in hospitality trade publications in your community.

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/ads/index.cfm

... Resource Library: Full-text articles and research on economic studies, ventilation, secondhand smoke, tobacco industry tactics, and more!

http://www.tobaccoscam.ucsf.edu/resource/index.cfm

Fight Smoking Bans

Be pro active instead of reactive.

There are only a few Antis taking rights away from a lot of people. There are a lot of smokers, and even more non-smoking folks who are fed up with the Antis taking away personal freedom.
The antis are well funded and do this for a living. When a smoker or non-smoker doesn't like being told what to do on their own property, the Antis reply by screaming that the person must be a front for "Big Tobacco."
Any opinion other than theirs is wrong and you are not allowed to ask why.
Think of the bully in the school yard when you were a kid. This is what he's grown up to be. He knows people will do what he says because he's lied so much that most sheeple take the lies as truth without question.
When you ask for proof of his statements, he enters into his magic act of deceit, smoke and mirrors. Listen carefully for his real message… "Because I said so."
If you already have parents and don't want more, force this bully to give you the proof to backup his statements.

Fight Antis

How To Fight Anti-tobacco http://www.forces.org/fight/index.htm
Smokers stand alone against the antis, and the dishonest state that supports them -- for now. But we are millions, and many non-smokers are getting sick and tired of the anti-tobacco propaganda. Business operators fight back. And the truth on the frauds of the cartel continues to emerge.

Reflections On "Fair Fighting" http://www.forces.org/fight/files/fair.htm
We are fighting an enemy which has no morality, and no sense of honour and justice. Our enemy does not hesitate to falsify information, circumvent or alter due process, and destroy our livelihoods, families and social lives when it serves its purpose. Our enemy believes that fear, intolerance and intimidation are the only way to go in order to force its opponents into submission.

Samples of Nazi points http://www.geocities.com/persuasiveletter/index.htm
to use when writing a persuasive letter about smoking.

Watching The Enemy http://www.forces.org/fight/files/watch.htm
One of the most important elements when fighting a war is the awareness of what our enemies are up to.

List of Anti Groups http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=1
Know who they are, what they are doing, and see their blueprints on how to take away your freedom.

Putting The Pressure On The Hospitality Industry
It is sad that hospitality industry operators have become the unwilling battleground between fascism and freedom, and we feel very sorry for them all. But certainly, they cannot blame us for having started it.

http://www.forces.org/fight/files/pressure.htm

Boycotting: http://www.forces.org/fight/files/boycott.htm
Usually Ineffective

Electronic Warfare: Internet As A Battleground
Because of its global nature, the Internet cannot be censored. This, of course, worries the control freaks a great deal, for information manipulation is how the cartel can influence public opinion. Without manipulations, the truth comes out, and the fabricated anti-tobacco arguments inevitably fall with a loud crash.

http://www.forces.org/fight/files/electron.htm

Information You Need To Fight Back
For freedom-fighters, smokers, and friends!
Take whatever you need from this website to help fight the lies and misinformation used by the nico-Nazis to encroach upon individuals and business owners. Get active if you value your rights. Arm yourself with the truth and take up the banner wherever and whenever tyranny rears its ugly head.

http://www.geocities.com/madmaxmcgarrity/

War On Smokers
Let's stop the feigned ignorance of the awful effects of the War on Smokers. These are not isolated examples; they are the result of a decades-long, taxpayer-financed, state-sponsored crusade in which professional activists are paid to promote intolerance and hate.

http://www.geocities.com/smokersunited/WARonSMOKERS.htm

Fighting The Antis

The quest for freedom from oppression is a very emotional issue for all of us. However, emotion tends to cloud judgment, and we often say things that may be best left unsaid. In many cultures, the person who shows emotion automatically assumes an inferior position. There's a time and place for it, but when debating anti-smokers it can help to take the emotion out of the equation.

http://193.78.190.200/smokersclub/lockjaw.htm

The Case Against Smoking Bans 

The "Health Advocates," of course, will attempt to convince you (through unsupportable-- though seemingly scientific-sounding inference) that the health or  the very lives of these workers are at stake.  This is hyperbolic nonsense, as  our paper intends to prove, but as a weapon in the ongoing war against smokers, it's their heaviest Heavy Gun. And legislatures everywhere have felt it pressed to their spines.  We urge them to read our paper: it's their bullet-proof vest.

http://www.nycclash.com/CaseAgainstBans/Introduction.html

Fight Employment Smoking Bans

From: Workplace Rights-Lifestyle Discrimination:

1.Prohibited Practices:
1.1 It shall be illegal for an employer to discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of that person's conduct during non working hours away from the employer's premises or on the basis of personal characteristics unless that conduct or characteristic affects the person's ability to properly fulfill the responsibilities of the position in question.
1.2 No employer shall collect information about the off-duty behavior or personal characteristics of employees or applicants which would not be a legitimate basis for personnel decisions under section 1.1.

(Lifestyle discrimination are from a "model" legislative proposal drawn up by the ACLU and are not actual law.)

***************

As of 1997 there are 28 states that legally prohibit employers from hiring/firing employees due to their off-work smoking status. They are: Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon.

In ANY state not on that list, employers can choose not to hire smokers--or not to hire non-smokers--if they want to. If the boss is a smoker, he or she could just as easily choose to hire only smokers for jobs in his/her company. It cuts both ways. Only job discrimination based on ethnic background, religion, political party, age, gender (and sometimes sexual preference) is prohibited in all states. Smokers are NOT a protected class with regard to jobs unless there is specific state legislation that protects them.

If your state is not on the list, contact your legislator about sponsoring a law to prevent job discrimination.

Fighting Anti-Tobacco In The Workplace: Hire Smokers
The workplace has been one big target of the anti-tobacco cartel. The statistical frauds on the "dangers" of secondhand smoke have been heavily used to deprive smokers of their right to light up on the job, where the beneficial effects of tobacco are most useful to relief stress. Increasingly, companies and public agencies seek to control private behavior by firing people who smoke or refusing to hire smokers -- including those who smoke only outside the workplace.

http://www.forces.org/fight/files/workpl.htm

Lifestyle Discrimination in the Workplace
Your right to privacy under attack.

http://www.aclu.org/library/pbr1.html

Your Rights on the Job

Employers are free to restrict smoking in the officeplace. They can ban it outright or restrict it to designated areas. In fact, some states ban smoking from all common areas, such as:
- cafeterias
- office reception areas
- kitchens and rest rooms
Some employers allow people to smoke in their individual offices. Some employers forbid smoking anywhere in the office.
While an employer can restrict smoking in the workplace, some states have laws that protect smokers from discrimination. That means that an employer can't reject an applicant because he or she is a smoker. It doesn't mean that employees get to smoke anytime or anywhere they want during work hours.
In some states, such as Georgia, however, an employer can reject smokers and insist that they refrain from lighting up on and off the job. That policy may be difficult to enforce, but it's legal so long as workers are adequately informed when they take the job.

Your Rights As A Smoker In New York
New York State is one of many states that enacted law to protect workers, smokers among them, from being fired due to engaging in legal off-hours activities. New York State employees are fortunate in this respect. There are states that can refuse to hire you or choose to fire you if you smoke even while you are at home. Be aware of what your rights are.

http://www.nycclash.com/smokingrights.html

Fight Your Apartment or Condo Smoking Bans

We would advise you to seek a free consultation with a Real Estate Attorney. However, there are some common sense things that you can do yourself first.

1) If you are renting/leasing an apartment or condo and the landlord says you can smoke, insist that it be written in the lease. Just because they say you can smoke now doesn't mean that 3 months down the road they will not change their minds. I would add to the lease that 'as long as I reside in my apartment/condo it will be considered a smoking residence". Have the landlord sign the lease with these additions.

2) When buying a Condo/Timeshare Unit insist that you see all the applicable 'Deed Restrictions" before signing anything. Read them carefully and if you do not understand them, please take them to an attorney before signing. A tactic that is often seen is you buy, then get shown the deed restrictions. If they do not want to show you the deed restrictions, the red flag should go up and you need to find another place. By law, they have to show you what are you buying into.

3) If you already own a Condo/Timeshare Unit and they are now going Smoke Free, read your deed restrictions. This is probably more apt to happen to Timeshare Units than Condo's. . If there is nothing in the deed restrictions then you may be "Grand Fathered In" which means you go by your old deed restrictions. Again, you may want to check with an attorney. However, if you have a deed, make them fight you, rather than you fighting them.

The most important thing is Ask Questions! Don't be intimidated into buying or leasing anything you are not comfortable with. If they are honest they will have absolutely no problem addressing your concerns.
By Cher Silvia

http://floridarights.tripod.com/

Most asked questions:

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC267/333/7228/376620?d=dmtICNNews

Sepsis
For Severe Sepsis 35% of 750,000 is 262,500 people who die. For Septic Shock, Despite active treatment in the ICU, the death rate is around 50%.

http://www.survivingsepsis.com/

WHO Warns Against 'kitchen killer.' Over a million die each year by inhaling cooking smoke. “While the millions of deaths from well-known communicable diseases often make headlines, indoor air pollution remains a silent and unreported killer,” the United Nations’ agency said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6253970/

Number of Deaths from Secondhand Smoke: Zero.

http://www.davehitt.com/2004/name_three.html

U.S. road deaths up slightly in 2003.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/04/28/highway.deaths.ap/index.htm

Health Hysteria: DVT So deadly that it does not show up on list of most common fatalities. What is this deadly ailment killing nearly a quarter of a million Americans per year?

http://forces-int.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=437

Mold blamed for breathing problems. A rare ailment known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis also was associated with indoor mold exposure in susceptible people.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/05/25/mold.health.ap/index.html

Genes Appear to Play a Role in Development of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

http://www1.wfubmc.edu/news/NewsArticle.htm?Articleid=1389

List of smoking-related diseases expanded. The report said current evidence is not conclusive enough to say smoking causes colorectal cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer or erectile disfunction.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5077308/

Computer blows out smoking-related death figures with no real human facts. Are there 435,000 smoking-related deaths per year in America? Maybe. I can tell you this with absolute certainty, however: No human beings are ever studied to find out. Bulletin. By Rosalind B. Marimont. The SAMMEC methodology has been criticized by many epidemiologists, statisticians, and all purpose general applied mathematicians like me on technical grounds, which are usually not comprehensible to non-specialists. But these age numbers are easy to understand - How is tobacco the number one killer, when its "victims" live longer than the rest of us? SAMMEC. Where the figures are popped out of a computer, not from human data. Hal?

http://www.nycclash.com/ArticlesFolder/SAMMEC.html

http://www.forces.org/evidence/sammec/newproof.htm

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/sammec/

If you use Welbutrin and Zyban you may overdose and die.

Some useful organizations!

Coloradans for Smokers' Rights

http://members.tripod.com/smokersrights/home.html

CO: The Smoking Section

http://truth.grem.tv/

Delaware United Smokers Association

http://www.deusa.org/

Delmarva Smokers For Individual Rights

smokerami@hotmail.com

Florida Rights

http://floridarights.tripod.com/

Florida Smokers' Rights

http://www.floridasmokersrights.com/

FL: The Crab Trap Restaurant

http://crabtrapflrights.tripod.com/

Freedom of Choice, Inc.

http://www.psycom.com/

Gallery Of Famous Smokers

http://www.jusonline.nl/smokers/

Hawaii Smokers Rights

http://forceshawaii.tripod.com/index.html

KY: The Rosebud Bar

http://rosebudbar.tripod.com/

KY: Metro Louisville Hospitality Coalition

http://www.fightthesmokingban.com/metro_louisville_hc.htm

Maine Smokers Rights

http://www.geocities.com/shelioness/

Massachusetts Citizens For Freedom

http://mcff.tripod.com/home.html

MA: Cambridge Citizens for Smokers' Rights

http://www.ccsr.org/

MA: Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston

http://www.shpcboston.org/

Michigan Business Alliance for Fair Taxes

http://www.saynotounfairtaxes.com/

Minnesotans Against Smoking Bans

http://www.minnesotansagainstsmokingbans.com/

MN: Smoke Out Gary

http://www.smokeoutgary.org/index.htm

NJ: The Metropolitan Cigar Society

http://www.metrocigar.com/index.html

NYC C.L.A.S.H.

http://www.nycclash.com/

NY: Repeal The Ban

http://www.repealtheban.com/index.htm

NY: The Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association

http://www.esrta.org/

NY Tobacco Control

http://www.rusthompson.com/SmokingBan.html

NY: United Restaurant & Tavern Owners of New York, Inc.

http://www.urandto.com/

OH: Akron Cigar Club

http://www.akroncigarclub.com/home.asp

OH: Columbus Bar Owners Political Action Committee

http://www.barpac.org/

OH: Save Cleveland Jobs

http://www.saveclevelandjobs.com/

Oklahoma Citizens for Freedom and Liberty

http://horatio46.tripod.com/

Pennsylvania Smokers Action Network

http://cantiloper.tripod.com/

Real Texas Freedom

http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/realtexasfreedom/home.html

Smokers Fighting Discrimination, Inc.

http://www.geocities.com/sfd-usa

Smokers Take Back YOUR RIGHTS !

http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!3D!8C!EC646CDC0F78/Vickes/SmokersTakeBackYOUR/

Smoking Bans That Didn't Stick.

http://www.forces.org/smokingbans/smoking_bans.htm

Smokinglobby.com

http://come.to/SmokersInfo

The Facts

http://www.thefactscom.com/

The National Organization of Smokers

http://www.natl-org-of-smokers.com/

The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter

http://www.smokersclub.com/newsltr.htm

Canada:

MyChoice

Ontario Smokinhttp://mychoice.ca/display_page.asp?page_id=1g Rightsite

PUBCO: Pub and Bar Coalition of Canada

http://www.pubcoalition.com/

Roxxon's Smokers Rights Page

http://roxxon0.tripod.com/home.html

Smokers Rights Canada

http://www.smokersrightscanada.org/

Subversive Liberty: Home Page of Pierre Lemieux

http://www.pierrelemieux.org/

Fair Air Association of Canada

http://www.faac.ca/index2.htm

International:

Forest

Smokers of thehttp://www.forestonline.org/output/Page1.asp World Unite!

Smoking Paradise

http://www.smokingparadise.net/

Smokers Welcome Chat Room Schedule
Find the people you want to chat with!

http://www.smokersclubinc.com/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=35

Smokers Club Forum
Moderated discussion for tobacco issues. You can get all the day's posts in one email, by adjusting your membership to "Daily Digest."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smokersclubforum

Break Time

The Intended: The song, The Smoke Police

http://www.theintendedband.com/

Thora's Cookbook

http://www.rockies.net/~muggies/Index.html

Jacquie Lawson

http://www.jacquielawson.com/

Sea Monkey

http://www.seamonkeyworship.com/

Hamster For President

http://www.hamsterforpresident.com/

Games Kids Play

http://www.gameskidsplay.net/

Santa in Colorado

http://www.havesantawilltravel.com/index.html

Links of Interest to Libertarians

http://www.lplac.org/liblinks.htm

Dialectizer

http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect

Nascar

http://www.nascar.com/

PBR Now

http://www.pbrnow.com/

The 50 Greatest Conspiracies of all Time

http://www.conspire.com/

Internet Movie Database

http://us.imdb.com/

The (Insert Something Funny) Players

http://www.insertsomethingfunny.com/

The Weather Channel

http://www.weather.com/

Junk Science Home Page

http://www.junkscience.com/

Scam Busters.org

http://www.scambusters.org/

Useless Knowledge

http://www.uselessknowledge.com/

Truth or Fiction

http://www.truthorfiction.com/

Forces:

International

http://www.forces.org/

Forces USA

http://www.forces.org/usa/index.htm

Industry:

Brown & Williamson Tobacco

http://www.bw.com/home.html

JTI International

http://www.jti.com/english/

Lorillard

http://www.lorillard.net/

Philip Morris

http://www.philipmorris.com/

R.J. Reynolds

http://www.rjrt.com/

Tobacco Industry List

http://193.78.190.200/smokersclub/mfg.htm

Other:

Our Favorite Writers

http://www.smokersclub.com/writers.html

Smokers Blogs

http://193.78.190.200/smokersclub/smokersblogs.htm

Chain Smoking Monkey

http://www.chainsmokingmonkey.com/

Cigarette Smoker's Tax Revolt

http://change101.tripod.com/

Cigarwise Magazine

http://www.cigarwise.com/main.html

Cigar Magazines

http://www.world-newspapers.com/cigar-magazines.html

Eagles Nest

http://www.eagles-nest.us/

Ericg's Homepage

http://www.freedombyfaith.com/

Flo's Cigar Page

http://www.angelfire.com/fl/IsraFood/

The Hittman Chronicle

http://www.davehitt.com/

Smoker's Lounge

http://www.heartland.org/IssueSuites.cfm?issId=4

Stop The Health Fanatics

http://www.geocities.com/stophealthfanatics/

Stop The Health Taliban

http://stophealthtaliban.tripod.com/

The Writing of Warren Klass

http://www.smokersclub.com/klass.htm

The X-tray

http://www.x-tray.com/index.htm

Tulsa Tobacco Party

http://www.geocities.com/tulsa_tobacco_party/Tulsa_Tobacco_Party.html

Wrongful Termination Lawyer Directory

http://www.wrongful-termination-lawyer.com/?

Forums

Forums: sign up and log in:

The Price of Liberty

http://www.thepriceofliberty.org/cgi-bin/board/index.pl
National Organization of Smokers
http://pub111.ezboard.com/bnationalorganizationofsmokers

Smokingpermitted
http://www.smokingpermitted.com/forums/

Speakeasy Forum
http://speakeasyforum.com/

Free Republic
http://www.freerepublic.com/

RJR Doral
http://www.smokerswelcome.com/RJR/dtclogin.jsp?brand=DOR

RJR Winston
http://www.smokerswelcome.com/RJR/dtclogin.jsp?brand=WIN

RJR Salem
http://www.smokerswelcome.com/RJR/dtclogin.jsp?brand=SAL

NY News 12 Board
http://forum.news12.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=news12li&page=&view=&sb=&o=

KY Forces Kentucky
http://www.forces-kentucky.us/

KY Repeal The Smoking Ban
http://repealthesmokingban.com/mboard/index.php?sid=343882dd8f0a752d776f9e105a578ed2

The Straight Dope

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/

Forums: no log in:
Smoking Paradise
http://www.smokingparadise.net/guestbook.html

Smoking Section
http://www.smokingsection.com/msgboard.htm

Forest
http://www.forestonline.org/output/Page39.asp?F=9

Lawpsided
http://lawpsided.com/disc2_toc.htm

Campbellsville
http://www.campbellsville.com/comments/index.shtml

Cigargroup
http://www.cigargroup.com/news/business/index.html#messages

ME: Caribou Sound Off Forum
http://www.caribou-maine.com/wwwboard/

Smokers' Rights Forum
http://members2.boardhost.com/JasonLinks

MA: Cambridge Citizens Smokers' Rights Forum

http://www.ccsr.org/forum/

Smokers Blogs

Read what other smokers have to say:

Bob Smith on the soul of Libertarianism

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/bsmith/

Chuck Muth's News & Views

http://chuckmuth.blogspot.com/

Equality for Smokers

http://smokersfightback.blogspot.com/

Freedom: An oppressed rights activist

http://jritchie2003.blogspot.com/

Lew Rockwell.com Blog

http://blog.lewrockwell.com/

Quick Hitts

http://www.davehitt.com/blog/index.html

Tobacco and Obesity Research News

http://jayr-california.blogspot.com/

Truth and Thoughts

http://thinkking.blogspot.com/

IL:  Land of Lincoln Smoker's Diary

http://landoflincolnsmokersdiary.blogspot.com/

IL:  A Chicago Smoker's Blog

http://chicagosmoker.blogspot.com/

KS:  Tom Oyler's - The Dissenter

http://home.southwind.net/~tomoyler/

TX:  Real Texas Freedom

http://realtexasfreedom.blogspot.com/

Canada:  A Canadian Smokers Blog

http://looped-ca.blogdrive.com/

Canada:  Thomas Laprade's Snowbird Blog

http://thesnowbird.blogspot.com/

Canada:  Freedoms Inc. (Ontario)

http://freedomsinc.blogspirit.com/

Canada:  Equality For Smokers

http://smokersfightback.blogspot.com/

Smokers Groups

Groups

Florida Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Florida ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/floridasmokers

Georgia Individuals for Freedom
A new Yahoo group to join.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nobans/

Illinois Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Illinois ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/illinoissmokers/

Illinois Smokers Alliance:
A smokers ban discussion group from IL.  A public group but moderated against posts made by anti-smokers.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/illinoissmokersalliance/

Kentucky Rights:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Kentucky ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kentuckyrights/

Maine Rights:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Maine smoking ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mainerights/

Minnesota Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Minnesota smoking ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/minnesotasmokers/

Ohio Smokers Rights:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the  Ohio ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohiosmokersrights/

Rhode Island Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Rhode Island ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rhodeislandrights/

Washington State Smokers:
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Washington ban situation.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashStateSmokersAlliance

West Virginians Personal Freedoms
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the West Virginia and National ban situation.

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WestVirginians4personalfreedoms/

Canada Smokers Rights
A public yahoo group for anyone who wants to talk about the Canada ban situations.

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CanadianSmokersRights/

Smokers Club Forum:
A public yahoo group for the newsletter readers who want to talk about smokers rights.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smokersclubforum

Sign up for free smokers rights newsletter weekly delivery.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thesmokersclub

Sign up for free weekly comedy list.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/comedyweek

Petitions

Please sign one or all.

(You will not be asked to join anything. Your email address will not be kept on file.)

Take a Bite Out of PETA!

http://www.consumerfreedom.com/petaPetition.cfm

PETA's tax-exempt status was granted by the U.S. government on the basis of the group's willingness to conduct itself in a lawful fashion. We believe that PETA has failed to live up to its end of the bargain, and that the Internal Revenue Service should cancel PETA's tax-exempt status.

Have your say at a new petition.

Petition to Halt Excess Taxation on Tobacco

http://www.petitiononline.com/smokers/petition.html

NY: Get your FREE postcards to mail!

Smokers for Smokers Only Restaurants :

http://193.78.190.200/smokersclub/flpetition.htm

We the undersigned, as Florida residents and potential tourists, petition the State of Florida to pass legislation permitting the establishment of Smokers Only Restaurants and Bars, which would be limited only to smokers or those non-smokers who sign a waiver of the non-smoking requirement.
(Created by Florida Smokers' Rights and written by Natalie Reach.)

http://www.floridasmokersrights.com/

Freedom Of Choice Includes Tobacco:

http://www.petitiononline.com/focit/petition.html

We Demand Only that in Canada, a tolerant, all-inclusive, democratic nation, we want our Equal Right to also be Accommodated by our Society.
(Created by Smokers Rights Canada and written by Stephen Hartwell.)

http://www.petitiononline.com/cgi-bin/mlk?http://www.SmokersRightsCanada.Org

No Federal Tax Increase On Tobacco!

http://www.petitiononline.com/nofedtax/petition.html

Apparently "too much" is never enough. This latest stab at regressive, discriminatory and bullying taxation has already been endorsed by crusading legislators who long-ago forgot that smokers are citizens, ostensibly entitled to both equal protection and equal rights.
(Created by NYC C.L.A.S.H. and written by Audrey Silk.)

Smokers! Take Back Your Dignity Petition:

http://www.geocities.com/americansall/DIGNITY.htm

The War on Smokers must be stopped now by defunding the hate-filled anti-smoking movement that is built on lies and arrogance.
(Created by SMOKERS UNITED and written by Spinner.)

El Paso, Texas Petition

http://www.eagles-nest.us/petition.htm

City Council has by this act infringed upon the businessmen and businesswomen of this community. These businesses are not "Public Buildings" over which the government should be allowed to exercise such control. They are in fact privately owned buildings engaged in legal commerce and the proprietors of these buildings should be permitted to decide what LEGAL behaviors are permitted on their premises.

PetitionOnline Smokers Petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/dignity/petition.html

…we are one in four of your friends, neighbors, and family. We deserve the same respect and dignity afforded every other American. The War on Smokers must be stopped now by defunding the hate-filled anti-smoking movement that is built on lies and arrogance.
(Created by smokers and written by M.L. Herrin.)

Attention all business owners suffering from a smoking ban:

http://193.78.190.200/smokersclub/banloss.html

Please fill out this form and submit it for a new web page to be announced soon in the newsletter.

http://www.smokersclub.com/newsltr.htm

Cyber-Citizens Overwhelming Behind-the-Times Congress

"Congressional offices are struggling to handle a flood of e-mail messages from Americans, a study released today says. House offices get as many as 8,000 e-mail messages per month, and some Senate offices receive as many as 55,000. The overall number sent to Congress reached 80 million last year, reports the Congressional Management Foundation, a nonprofit organization seeking to improve the effectiveness of Congress.
The study attributed the increase to the ease of e-mail use and the efforts of grass-roots Web sites.
'I don't think Congressional officials were prepared for how rapidly this would grow,' said Rick Shapiro, executive director of the group. Mr. Shapiro said most offices took three weeks to respond to e-mail messages, and the report chides many of them for responding with paper mail. The best offices, he said, can send an e-mail reply in fewer than four days."
- New York Times, 3/19/01

Various Issues
E-Poll

http://www.e-poll.com/
iPetitions
PetitionOnline

http://www.petitiononline.com/

(These petitions have been sent. They can be viewed, but signatures cannot be added.)


Smokers Rights Petition:
It is not right to punish the 98% of adult smokers on the pretense of punishing Big Tobacco.
http://www.e-thepeople.org/a-1/p/2504/

Smoking Ban Poll Results:
http://www.mclaughlinonline.com/newspoll/np2003/030808nycon.pdf

New York State Conservative Party. Three in four voters WOULD allow some form of smoking in bars, lounges or nightclubs. Once and for all - the politicians went too far!

Video & Audio

Video and Audio Smokers Rights Media
(wma/wmv files are for Windows Media Player Version 9 or higher)

Fun For All:

Video: The Balcony

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/balcony.wmv

Video: Stars Wars

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/GianStarWars.wmv

Video: The Smoking Dog

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/SmokingDog.wmv

Video: Smoking Kills

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/smokekills.swf

Music: The Intended Band "The Smoke Police"

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/SmokePolice.wma

Music: Kel VanBuskirk "Freedom"

http://www.forces.org/art/darkhorse/freedom.htm

Music: Kel VanBuskirk "Make Me Some Love"

http://www.forces.org/art/darkhorse/clips.htm

In English:

Video: Putnam WV , Smoking Ban.  Doctor says smoking also knows benefits.

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/PutnamSmokingBan.wmv

Radio: Interview with Joe Jackson for Funradio.

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/jj.wma

(.ram format)

Video: South Park

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/713.ram

Radio: BBC Interview: Joe Jackson

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_jackson_20040303.ram

Netherlands :

Video: Interview with Gerrit Zalm, Minister of Finance smokes in his office because of good ventilation.

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/Zalm.wmv

Video: Interview with Wiel Maessen in Belgium, debate. 09/04

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/leeuwenkuil.wmv

Radio: Interview with Rhonda Murray for Funradio. 09/04

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/funradio-interview-rhonda.wma

Radio: World Smoking Day report by Funradio. 10/04

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/wereldrokersdag2004.wma

Radio: Interview with Wiel Maessen, weekly Funradio program. 10/04

http://smokersclubinc.com/audio/funradio.wma

Smoking Is Good For You – As A Taxpayer

By Paul Harris

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0210/S00123.htm#author#author
YellowTimes.org Column

http://www.yellowtimes.org/article.php?sid=767

(YellowTimes.org) – Well, maybe not for you personally but it is surely good for the economy. It's sure as hell good for Philip Morris. Apparently, it is good for government. At least that is the unequivocal conclusion of a superb study prepared for Philip Morris and presented to the government of the Czech Republic..

Let me start with whether smoking is good for you. Okay, I misled you with the title of the article because no one with more intelligence than, say, a pencil eraser would in their wildest dreams believe that smoking was good for you. Even if you don't accept that smoking causes cancer, there are lots of lesser diseases vying for top spot so even if smoking fails to kill you, it can still make you damn sick. It causes deaths due to house fires, traffic accidents because some moron has dropped a lit cigarette into his lap right next to the crown jewels; it causes no end of bitter arguments between the pro- and anti-smoking lobbies. In short, it's pretty hard to see that there is any personal benefit to smoking, unless, of course, you accept the basic premise of the tobacco companies that slowly killing yourself with their products is somehow 'cool.' But read on, we have all been mistaken about this.

Is smoking good for the economy? Before I get into the Philip Morris report, let's just look at the more obvious stuff. The largest producer of tobacco and tobacco products on the planet is the United States and there is no question that tobacco provides a huge number of jobs; the tobacco companies pay huge taxes (at least they do unless they've been able to duck out of them with some fancy accounting chicanery); and all the shippers, packagers, retailers who deliver these delightful products to the lungs of the world pay taxes and pay wages, etc. There is huge business in advertising tobacco products and huge business in advertising anti-tobacco messages along with 'stop-smoking' products and programs. Tobacco is a big industry! Sort of a homegrown weapon of mass destruction.

Is smoking good for Philip Morris? Well, duh!

While most of us realize that government derives taxes from tobacco, most of us have never considered the more obvious benefits that derive from tobacco and just how important this product can be. Most of us have assumed there are some health costs associated with tobacco but, according to the Philip Morris study, governments can save big money as a result of smoking.

The study was conducted for Philip Morris by Arthur D. Little International, Inc. and was presented to Philip Morris's Czech Republic division on November 28, 2000 . Let me give you the short version of it: At the same time that Philip Morris is spending around $100 million a year on public relations in an attempt to convince Americans that they are "Making a Difference," this study proves conclusively to the Czech government the tremendous social benefit of the Philip Morris products. The study shows beyond doubt that the 22,000 smoking-related deaths in the Czech Republic during 1999 saved the Czech economy $27 million in pensions, housing, and health care. This translates into $1,227 saved for each premature death from smoking. How can anyone reasonably argue with success like that?

To quote from the report: "The objective was to determine whether costs imposed on public finance by smokers are offset by tobacco-related tax contributions and external positive effects of smoking." Now I've been through this 22-page report pretty carefully but I can't figure out what they mean by "external positive effects of smoking." Nevertheless, this is a pretty compelling piece of work and it should shut up those pesky anti-smoking weenies once and for all.

The report states that Philip Morris asked Little International, Inc. to analyze the negative and positive effects of smoking on public finance in the Czech Republic in order to understand if smoking imposes a financial burden on the treasury of the Republic. The reason for requesting the report is that public finance implications have significant impact on legislative policy in regards to tobacco. No thought is given in this report to any private costs of smoking.

This was a very thorough study, the sort of excellent job that has earned Arthur D. Little renown as one of the "foremost management consulting firms, helping leading organizations world-wide create innovative strategies across the full spectrum of their activities" (to quote their modest self-appraisal). They considered such things as: customs duties, value-added taxes (VAT), excise taxes, corporate income taxes, normal health care costs, extra health care costs usually associated with smokers, health care savings (dead people don't need health care), pension savings, savings on housing for the elderly for those smokers who never get to be elderly, lost income tax, lost productivity due to early death or disability, absenteeism related costs, and smoking-induced fire costs.

To be sure, there are lots of costs associated with smoking but, at least in the Czech Republic, these are outweighed by the savings. The costs arise from fire damage, non-fatal health issues, accidents related to cigarette burns, property damage from minor burns, medical, hospital and pharmacological expenses, lost productivity due to illness, and dead people. The obvious benefits are that dead people don't need health care, they don't need jobs so openings are created, they don't need housing, they don't drive cars and pollute the air and, of course, the huge tax revenues that derive from those still breathing. No matter how jaded the reader, it is hard to dispute the obvious social benefits of tobacco.

The report is also helpful in that it outlines some of the diseases that patriotic Czech citizens can choose if they really want to do their part for their nation's economy. They can choose from some of the glamorous diseases such as cancer, emphysema, and various heart ailments or they can opt for one of the quicker but equally effective solutions such as falling asleep in bed with a lit cigarette. No matter how you look at it, the good Czech citizen will do his or her part to help. It is only the unpatriotic who will not at least try to give it their best.

Much of this study won't be as true in other countries where there are very limited public services provided by government (like Philip Morris' home country, for instance). Indeed, in those countries, the numbers get even better for the government because they get to realize the revenue without incurring the cost of dealing with all these nasty sick or dying people. It's much tidier that way.

I have to close with a confession: I am not a smoker. Now I know what you're thinking: how can this guy be so irresponsible? Well, you're right. I appear to have an underdeveloped social conscience and I have not been doing my part to help Philip Morris and the other tobacco companies keep the statistics favorable. I have selfishly sat around waiting for others to do the job for me with second hand smoke. I feel so ashamed.

- [Paul Harris is self-employed as a consultant providing Canadian businesses with the tools and expertise to successfully reintegrate their sick or injured employees into the workplace. He has traveled extensively in what we arrogant North Americans refer to as "the Third World," and he believes that life is very much like a sewer: what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. Paul lives in Canada.]

Paul Harris encourages your comments: pharris@YellowTimes.org