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Forest: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Forest
In 1978, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, a retired Royal Air Force officer and pipe smoker, approached major British tobacco companies with a startling proposal: to create a formal association for tobacco consumers. This was not a grassroots movement born from public outcry, but a strategic initiative designed to counter what Foxley-Norris perceived as excessive government interference in personal lives. He was surprised that the tobacco industry had not already mounted a coordinated response to the growing tide of anti-smoking measures. Having retired from the RAF in 1974, Foxley-Norris was not merely seeking to advocate for smokers; he was actively seeking a salaried position to supplement his pension. At the same time, Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Charles Evans, a cigarette smoker and former General Secretary of the National Union of Retail Tobacconists, made similar proposals to industry figures. The Tobacco Advisory Committee, the trade association representing the British tobacco industry, agreed that the time was right to launch a pro-smoking group. However, the committee was explicit about the nature of this new entity. They stated that the organization would need to be closely controlled and supported by the industry, yet it had to be seen to be sufficiently independent to maintain its credibility. After some debate regarding who should lead the group, FOREST was officially launched on the 19th of June 1979, with Foxley-Norris serving as chairman and Evans as chief executive. These two men were the group's first two members, marking the beginning of an organization that would become a focal point for the debate over smoking rights in the United Kingdom.
The Industry's Puppet Master
By 1981, the tobacco industry had grown increasingly concerned about the effectiveness of FOREST, leading to a complete restructuring of the organization. A March 1980 memo from the Tobacco Advisory Committee revealed deep confusion about the group's purpose and doubts regarding its activities. Industry figures questioned whether FOREST should attempt to recruit a mass membership or simply continue to serve the industry directly. The committee decided that the existing FOREST organization would be restructured rather than replaced, requiring a new chief executive to replace Evans. The new model dictated that the organization would not merely react to news and tobacco control developments but would actively seek to make its own news through research and lobbying. Individual members were deemed desirable but not essential. Stephen Eyres was selected as the Director of this restructured organization, and from this point on, the leadership of FOREST tended to be drawn from elements of the libertarian movement. The 1981 restructuring proposal explicitly stated that if money invested in FOREST was to be properly effective, then control and management were essential. Contact between the Executive Director and the Tobacco Advisory Council was to be made on an almost daily basis. Yet, the industry also acknowledged that nobody of worth to a campaigning organization could be run on too tight a rein, so funding was guaranteed on an annual basis. This arrangement ensured that FOREST remained heavily dependent on tobacco industry funding, which in turn ensured considerable industry influence upon its leadership and direction.
Common questions
Who founded FOREST in 1979?
FOREST was founded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris and Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Charles Evans. The organization officially launched on the 19th of June 1979 with Foxley-Norris serving as chairman and Evans as chief executive.
When did FOREST lose its fight against smoke-free workplace regulations in England?
FOREST lost its fight against comprehensive smoke-free workplace regulations in England in February 2006. These regulations were subsequently implemented on the 1st of July 2007.
Who was the Director of FOREST after Stephen Eyres resigned in 1989?
Chris Tame succeeded Stephen Eyres as the effective leader of FOREST in 1988. Tame continued in the position until 1995 when he was removed by the tobacco industry and replaced by Marjorie Nicholson.
How much money did FOREST receive from tobacco industry funding?
FOREST received annual funding from the tobacco industry which ensured considerable industry influence upon its leadership and direction. The organization remained heavily dependent on this funding because membership campaigns were largely unsuccessful.
When did Forest Éireann publish its report on the decline in trade for Irish pubs?
Forest Éireann published a report in September 2010 stating that the ban on indoor smoking had been the cause of a decline in trade experienced by Irish pubs. The report called for the ban to be relaxed.
Who is the current director of FOREST as of the end of the script?
Simon Clark is the current director of FOREST who took over from Marjorie Nicholson in 1999. Clark launched a spin-off campaign entitled The Free Society to challenge government regulation.
The leadership of FOREST was marked by a series of scandals and transitions that highlighted the tension between public image and private reality. Foxley-Norris remained a public figurehead until retiring in 1989, when he was replaced by Lord Harris of High Cross, the general director of the Institute of Economic Affairs and a pipe smoker. Meanwhile, Stephen Eyres, who had been instrumental in restructuring the group, was suffering from increasing ill-health due to HIV. In September 1989, Eyres was accused of misusing FOREST funds to buy first-class flights to Australia and a property in Spain. The tobacco industry was keen to avoid any publicity surrounding these allegations. Consequently, Eyres resigned effective as of the 1st of October 1989, and an agreement was reached not to discuss the circumstances of the termination of his employment. This agreement was confirmed in a High Court judgement in November 1989, and Eyres died in 1990. Chris Tame, a non-smoker and founder of the Libertarian Alliance, was recruited to succeed both Eyres and Evans as the organization's effective leader in 1988. Tame voiced a concern about the potential wider impact of measures to reduce exposure from second-hand smoke, arguing from a libertarian perspective that individuals' right to make their own health decisions needed defending. Tame continued in the position until 1995, when he was removed by the tobacco industry following concerns about his approach. He was replaced by Marjorie Nicholson, who had previously been the organization's campaign manager and had stood for Parliament at the 1994 Dudley West by-election under the FOREST name.
The Illusion of Independence
Despite its public image as a voice for the smoker, FOREST's internal communications revealed a starkly different reality regarding its relationship with the tobacco industry. The organization's media profile was carefully managed to maximize impact while promoting an appearance of independence. FOREST spokespeople continued to appear on television and radio in the United Kingdom, and they were quoted by British newspapers and broadcasters as representatives of a pro-tobacco viewpoint. However, internal communications to the tobacco industry argued that the group's real successes could not be publicized. A 1985 Directors' report by Stephen Eyres stated that measuring FOREST purely in terms of media coverage denied the existence of other work in which it was engaged but which could not be publicized. The report argued that if others could be persuaded to sing the same tune, this was of more value than anything that might be said by the tobacco industry itself or FOREST. Less direct techniques were also used to maximize media impact. The 1985 report acknowledged that the arms-length relationship with the industry had worked to the benefit of both parties, and noted that letter-writers were retained to provide an active local media presence. This strategy allowed the tobacco industry to influence public discourse without directly associating its brands with the controversial arguments being made.
The Failure of Mass Membership
Marketing itself as the voice and friend of the smoker, FOREST struggled to recruit a broad support base that could make the organization self-financing. The establishment of the group was planned by the Tobacco Advisory Committee, and at a 1979 meeting, the committee discussed ways to maintain its appearance of independence. After its founding, membership campaigns were largely unsuccessful. In one notable instance, 10,000 cigarette retailers were solicited to join FOREST, but only four joined. This failure to attract a significant number of individual members meant that financial support from the tobacco industry remained the main source of funding for FOREST. The organization was described by critics as an astroturf front group created and primarily funded by the tobacco industry. Despite this lack of genuine grassroots support, FOREST attracted the support of celebrity smokers, including artist David Hockney, inventor Trevor Baylis, musician Joe Jackson, chef Antony Worrall Thompson, and politician Claire Fox. These high-profile endorsements helped to maintain the group's media visibility, even as its internal financial structure remained entirely dependent on industry funding.
The Battle for Public Spaces
In February 2006, FOREST lost its fight against comprehensive smoke-free workplace regulations in England, which were achieved via a House of Commons free vote and subsequently implemented on the 1st of July 2007. These regulations complemented smoke-free workplace measures already introduced in Scotland in March 2006, and in Northern Ireland and Wales in April 2007. The new laws included all pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants, private members' clubs, and any indoor workplace. Following this UK-wide defeat, FOREST undertook to continue to lobby under a freedom of choice banner. In 2010, the organization launched an Irish branch, Forest Éireann, in the Republic of Ireland, which had instituted nationwide smoke-free workplace regulations in March 2004. Forest Éireann's stated aim was to represent smokers in Ireland, replicating the activities of its parent group in the United Kingdom. In September 2010, Forest Éireann published a report stating that the ban on indoor smoking had been the cause of a decline in trade experienced by Irish pubs, and calling for the ban to be relaxed. As of 2010, the spokesman for the Irish group was John Mallon, a sales manager and former oil rigger. Concern about the potential impact of smoke-free regulations upon the income of publicans and licensees was also a theme in FOREST's opposition to smoke-free workplace measures in the UK.
The Nanny State Campaign
Following the defeat of the smoking ban, FOREST launched its Save Our Pubs and Clubs campaign in 2009, with Greg Knight, a Conservative MP, and Anthony Worrall-Thompson in attendance. The campaign was backed by David Clelland, a Labour MP, John Hemming, a Liberal Democrat MP, and Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP. The campaign called for pubs and clubs to be able to choose whether to allow smoking and listed as supporters the Working Men's Club and Institute Union, the Adam Smith Institute, thinktank Progressive Vision, and the Manifesto Club. The current director, Simon Clark, took over from Nicholson in 1999 and launched a spin-off campaign entitled The Free Society, a more general campaign against the perceived nanny state. Clark stated, If people wish to eat themselves to death by eating too much fatty food that has to be their choice. This broader libertarian argument extended the group's focus beyond tobacco to include any government regulation perceived as interfering with personal choice. The campaign sought to frame smoking restrictions as part of a larger pattern of state overreach, attempting to rally support from a wider range of political and social groups.