What does FOREST stand for?
FOREST is short for Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco.
Questions about FOREST
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who founded FOREST and when was it launched?
FOREST was launched on the 19th of June 1979. Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris became its first chairman, and Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Charles Evans its first chief executive. Both men approached the British tobacco industry independently in 1978 with the idea for such a group.
Is FOREST funded by smokers or by the tobacco industry?
Primarily by the tobacco industry. Membership campaigns failed to build a self-financing base; in one instance, only four out of 10,000 solicited cigarette retailers joined. The tobacco industry has remained the main funding source since FOREST's founding.
What happened to Stephen Eyres?
Eyres served as Director of FOREST from 1981. In September 1989 he was accused of misusing organisation funds for first-class flights to Australia and a property in Spain. He resigned effective the 1st of October 1989 under terms confirmed in a High Court judgement. He died in 1990.
What was the outcome of FOREST's campaign against the English smoking ban?
FOREST lost its fight in February 2006 when comprehensive smoke-free workplace regulations for England passed via a free vote in the House of Commons. The regulations came into force on the 1st of July 2007, covering pubs, bars, restaurants, private members' clubs, and all indoor workplaces.
Which celebrities supported FOREST?
FOREST attracted support from artist David Hockney, inventor Trevor Baylis, musician Joe Jackson, chef Antony Worrall Thompson, and politician Claire Fox, all described as celebrity smokers who opposed restrictions on smoking in public places.