The International Coalition Against Prohibition

The International Coalition Against Prohibition (TICAP) describes itself as a 'collection of regional, national, and international organisations, now bound in solidarity against the damaging prohibitions which in most cases serve to enrich special interests through scientific fraud and political manipulation, where adults are treated as children and freedom of choice is brushed aside'.^[1]

Board of Directors

Affiliations

Chris Snowdon | Patrick Basham

Member Organisations

Citizens Against Government Encroachment (C.A.G.E.)

Canada Citizens Against Government Encroachment (C.A.G.E. - "Citoyens Anti Gouvernement Envahissant") was created to counter the multi-pronged assault on personal liberties and lifestyle choices of ordinary people. CAGE promotes the idea that happiness and good health (in that order) are best pursued by responsible, educated and well-informed adults in control of their own choices. It opposes state-directed harassment of those who do not choose to conform to all aspects of the "officially approved healthy lifestyle," or the imposition of coercive legislation to force behavioral compliance. Most importantly, CAGE seeks to unite people around these basic principles, thus creating a political majority actively opposed to invasive government legislation. It is only by mobilizing people around such a basic, broad ideology, that attitudes such as "I don't cycle/smoke/hang-glide/eat 'x' food/own an affected business, so why should I oppose this new law?" can be overcome.

C.A.G.E. was incorporated in Canada as a non-profit organization in January 2005, and immediately went to work sponsoring debates at McGill University in Montreal, signing up members, doing case studies, developing budgets, consulting with hospitality industry leaders, developing a political and social network, writing letters to government ministries and to the media, speaking to people on the street, in bars and in shopping malls, and actually meeting with municipal, provincial and federal level politicians.

C.A.G.E. became an official member of TICAP on May 29, 2008 pledging cooperation with the coalition on an international level.

You can read more on C.A.G.E., its mission, actions and points of view in English and French at: www.cagequebec.ca and www.cagecanada.blogspot.com

Citizens Freedom Alliance (The Smoker's Club)

USA Through strategic training, communication, and outreach, Citizens Freedom Alliance, Inc. advances a common sense approach under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. The group strives to secure economic liberty, smokers rights, taxpayer rights, private property rights, freedom of speech, and other vital individual liberties to restore constitutional limits on the power of government. In addition, Citizens Freedom Alliance, Inc. trains volunteers and supplies resources in the tactics of public interest topics. The group works with dozens of other smokers rights groups, freedom groups, and hundreds of individuals who are smokers, non-smokers, and some who are ex-antismoking extremists. Through these activities, the group challenges the ideology of the nanny state and illustrates and extends the benefits of freedom to those whose full enjoyment of liberty is denied by government.

Originally founded in 1994 as The Smoker's Club, Inc., is now a non-profit, tax exempt organization: Citizens Freedom Alliance, Inc. and The Smoker's Club. It has evolved into the leading online Newsletter for Smokers Rights, Property Rights, and other issues. It pursues cutting-edge news coverage in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion on behalf of individuals whose most basic rights are denied by the government -- like the right to earn an honest living, private property rights, and the right to free speech.

Simply put, Citizens Freedom Alliance, Inc. takes the government and antismoking extremists to task when they stand in the way of people trying to earn an honest living, when they unconstitutionally take away individuals' property, when bureaucrats instead of parents dictate the education of children, and when government stifles speech. We seek a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. For more information, click here.

www.smokersclubinc.com

Danmarks Rygerforening (DaRy)

Denmark Danmarks Rygerforening (DaRy - The Danish Smokers Rights Organisation) was founded in September 2005 as a reaction to the looming threat of smoking bans in Denmark. DaRy is dedicated to the defense of tobacco leaf products and users of tobacco, mainly smokers. DaRy operates a danish language website with comments and information on smoking.

Representatives of DaRy regularly comment in newspapers, radio and television on the smoking issue.

DaRy is an ardent opponent of smoking bans and other lifestyle measures directed against smokers. Currently (autumn 2008) DaRy has approximately 150 paying members.

DaRy is a founding member of TICAP.

FORCES International Inc.

USA FORCES International is an organisation in support of human rights and - in particular, but not limited to "the defence of those who expect from life the freedom to smoke, eat, drink and, in general, to enjoy personal lifestyle choices without restrictions and state interference."

At the same time, FORCES is an organization in support of scientific integrity and the use of appropriate scientific methodology in the science which is claimed to be at the foundation of public policy. The issue of poor scientific/statistical methodologies, presented as unquestionable and sound science, and the further misrepresentation of the results of those faulty methodologies to the public to justify the current draconian public health policies are fundamental issues taken up by our organization.

FORCES INTERNATIONAL (Forces, Inc.) is a non-profit educational corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. Forces, Inc. has received a charitable tax exemption under US Internal Revenue Code 501(c)3. Your contribution may be tax deductible in the USA. FORCES is structured in a similar fashion in other countries, according to local laws.

FORCES Netherlands

NetherlandsAlthough officially established in 2001, Forces Netherlands, as a chapter of Forces International, has been active in the Netherlands since 1999. Its objective is the same as that of the mother organization: provide alternative information about smoking that is not provided by the normal media and/or government and initializing actions against the prohibition of smoking. The organization had done so in the past nine years. It provided the alternative information through their website (www.forces-nl.org) and through media interviews, where it acted as a natural counterforce against the anti-smoking propaganda, effectively breaking the information monopoly of anti-smoking groups.

The most successful actions were in 2007 and in 2008, the year in which the Dutch smoking ban was introduced on July 1. In the summer of 2007, Forces Netherlands started a tour - with their action ship Arcadia- along many cities in Holland where they visited local bars, distributed petition forms against an upcoming smoking ban there that could be signed by their guests. This way, together with two other pro-smoking organizations, they gathered a record number of 100,000 signatures that were presented to the Minister of Health (MoH) and the parliament on October 12, 2007.

In 2008, they managed to gather about 600 bar-owners behind an initiative to set up a lawsuit against the Dutch Ministry of Health, claiming an exception for small hospitality organizations. This resulted in a provisional lawsuit on July 1, which did not result in its objective (the creation of an exemption for the smoking ban) but drew a lot of public attention in the media for the vulnerable situation of the small bars in regard of the smoking ban and changed the awareness of this problem in the general public and in parliament significantly. At this moment (August 2008), a new lawsuit against the MoH is being prepared as well as lawsuits resulting from fines being issued. At the same time new actions in parliament have been made possible through contacts with MP’s.

Freedom to Choose Scotland

Scotland Independent of Freedom2Choose, Freedom to Choose Scotland is established along similar lines and working to the same principles. Mostly located across Central Scotland , Fife and Ayrshire, its members have organised two independent petitions to the Scottish Parliament, attended hearings and engaged in follow-up correspondence. Members also organised a demonstration outside the Edinburgh 2007 conference "Towards a Smokefree Society", where they had the opportunity to speak to the press and international delegates.

We continue to produce the Freedom2Choose newsletter, and to lobby politicians with our message.

We are an Organisation Member of the Cross-Party Group on Human Rights and Civil Liberties (Scottish Parliament).

Freedom to Choose UK

UK Freedom to Choose was founded in 2005 to oppose the introduction of a blanket smoking ban in the UK. We are a not for profit organisation funded solely by donations from our members, who come from all walks of life and are united in their determination to expose the myths about smoking that are eroding the freedom of British citizens.

We are a pro-choice organisation seeking accommodation of the needs of smokers and non-smokers alike to allow both to work and socialise in harmony. We can demonstrate that tolerant alternatives to a blanket smoking ban exist, are already working well in many other countries and that the majority of the UK population favour partial restrictions over a total ban.

Aims

i) To promote freedom of choice and oppose any coercive restraints upon that freedom by any lawful means and with particular reference to the negative effects of smoking bans on individuals, businesses and organisations ii) To advance public education in such matters.

We campaign to highlight our objections to the current UK legislation, which include:

Parliament and the general public have been misinformed on the health risks of second-hand smoke, which are not supported by most scientific studies in this area.
The ban is already needlessly causing enormous and irreparable damage to the hospitality and entertainment industries.
Communities are suffering as a result of their social venues closing.
Smokers represent at least 1/4 of the UK adult population yet face discrimination and social exclusion on a daily basis.
The UK ban is out of step with the majority of the rest of Europe, where smoking restrictions permit choice for venues and their customers.

Modern ventilation and air filtration can effectively remove 99.97% of airborne particles and make indoor air cleaner than outdoor, regardless of smoking.

Mariassunta Cappelli Associates

ItalyAn association of Italian libertarians, Mariassunta Cappelli Associates believes strongly in supporting the right of people and businesses having the liberty to make their own choices in personal lifestyles and is against the idea of government intervention in private lives and businesses with regard to determining those choices.

Netzwerk Rauchen e.V

Germany Netzwerk Rauchen e.V. is the leading force against tobacco control in Germany. We are an independent non-profit association. Our mission is fighting discrimination against tobacco and working for a peaceful co-existence of smokers and non-smokers.

To prevent the harm tobacco control does to our society, we oppose the means of coercion they are imposing on us, especially smoking bans, and debunk their lies, especially the passive smoking fraud.

We publish papers and analyses, mainly providing evidence against the alleged dangers of ETS, but also dealing with items like ventilation technology, the devastating effects of anti-tobacco policies or the parallels between the historical alcohol prohibition and current-day developments.
We co-operate with many pro-smoking and pro-choice groups, individuals and projects in Germany.
We have close contacts to activists in other (partly) German speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland.
We inform and educate politicians and raise our voice in law-making procedures.
We started several campaigns to organize and support protests, e.g. against inacceptable smoking bans in the hospitality sector and in railway trains.
We appear in mass media (online and offline) to speak out for freedom and against prohibitionist manipulation.

Pan European Association of Smokers

DenmarkPan-European Association of Smokers is an organisation, whose purpose is to achieve reasonable conditions for smokers in all European countries. If you are a pub, restaurant, hotel or similar in Europe, where smoking is allowed, you can have an advertisement or link to your homepage here for free.

PASAN

USA PASAN (Pennsylvania Smokers Action Network) was launched in 2002. Founded by Michael J. McFadden it was originally focused largely on the fight against the shoehorn of a Philadelphia smoking ban. Philadelphia's Antismokers were beaten back for four years, but like vampires in bad movies they just kept coming back and barely pulled out a ban by a single vote in 2006. As PASAN had warned, Philadelphia was the crack in the dike, and the entire state of Pennsylvania fell two years later.

The loss was far from total however: many small bars can still allow smoking if they wish and upcoming state Casinos can also allocate smoking space. And, of course, people are still afforded the "privilege" of being allowed to smoke in their own homes and cars and even in a certain percentage of hotel rooms.

PASAN is dedicated to getting rid of virtually all government-mandated smoking bans in public places where people are not forced to congregate, and strongly supports the concept of good ventilation for both general health and comfort in either smoking OR non-smoking venues. It freely offers its aid and materials to free-choice activists around the world and has most lately been quite active in Hawaii, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, the UK, and Europe (in preparation for the TICAP - The International Coalition Against Prohibition) conference.

Rich White and Associates

England No further information is available

Smokers Fighting Discrimination Inc.

USA No further information is available

SRMGBI

UK/Ireland Smokers' Rights Movement of Great Britain and Ireland.

No Further information is available.

York Tutors Agency

International York Tutors Agency is an independent educational service established in 1980. We offer a large range of educational services to English language learners from all over the world.  We have joined TICAP as we are libertarians and are sick of the nanny state and its infringement on our chosen way of life.

Ziggy's Ciggy Equilibrium

Australia No further information is available

Associate Members (19)

Association pour la Défense des Droits et Libertés Fondamentales des Citoyens

Luxembourg ADDLFC (Association for the defense of the rights and fundamental freedoms of citizens) was incorporated in January 2010 in Luxembourg.

Our slogan is "Stop prohibition in this country”, because the founders became fed up with politics which forgot about democracy and with the infringement of peoples' freedom.

Social peace and democratic values seem to be ever more neglected. History has shown that a good healthy economy cannot be achieved and sustained without a solid middle class. Politicians are trying to install a totalitarian governance based on restrictions and interdictions in any area.

The politicians have forgotten who they are: The representatives of "the People”.

We have to fight for our rights, to fight for democratic solutions.

Our struggle is centered around:
Smoking bans;
Alcohol bans;
Any ban which is in place and imposes on people’s personal liberty;
Any law which may not be in accordance with the International Bill of Human Rights of the United Nations as of December 10th 1948;
Any discrimination in general.

Ban the Ban Wisconsin

USA Ban the Ban Wisconsin was started by two concerned citizens - a smoker and a non-smoker - who strongly oppose a statewide smoking ban on privately-owned property and fiercely stand against the discrimination and insidious harassment of smokers in the state of Wisconsin, this great country and throughout the world.

We're completely grassroots and our only motivating factor is the preservation of rights, lifestyle and choice. Today we have four strictly volunteer "staff" members and a number of regular members throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Our primary goal is to help protect the basic rights of Wisconsin residents and business owners, preserve the economic viability of rural and out-state communities and help maintain lifestyle choices. While our principle efforts are focused on Wisconsin, our work extends globally.

Our mission is to neither encourage nor discourage smoking; rather, we advocate for the individualís right to choose based on facts and the truth, without government interference, oppressive legislation, special interest pressure or berating harassment from others.

We hope to encourage a healthy debate that fosters free-thought by offering valid arguments and alternatives to excessive legislation and social denormalization where smokers and tobacco are concerned.

Big's Diner

GermanyAmerican RestaurantTheater

Bund Mündiger Bürger

Germany The Bund mündiger Bürger (Federation of Independent Citizens) came into existence in Autumn 2007, when members of a FORCES-Germany regional chapter realized the need to "go politicalœ due to the total lack of any party within the political spectrum adequately committed against the Nanny State concept.

Finding no party representing the interests of the autonomous citizen against a worldwide movement of official and semi-official do-gooders trying to reduce the last remains of former civil liberties to cinders, we found it necessary to create a political party of our own. The BmB stands for the conservation of civil rights and a social security system worth of that name. We abhor censorship, rules for data retention, and all tendencies of a "Big Brotherœ state. Further, we try to beat all those "Might-Beœ Nannies with their own means, especially by tracing all those nice big footprints left by international health lobbyism (WHO et al.).

So far, we are a small party. We have been officially registered as a party by the German Federal Election Supervisor in March 2008. We have established two regional chapters in Württemberg and in Bavaria (three more are in preparation). While we have yet to reach a thousand members, our talks with frustrated citizens so far have been very promising (Remember: We originally started with seven people!). We admit it: We started as a quite naive group of politically "innocentœ citizens, just somehow dissatisfied. The more insight into the political machinations we got, the more we sensed the need for a change. A big change. Accordingly, the BmB plans to participate in the 2009 elections for the European Parliament. Any activists are welcome!

Bundesversammelung Genuss, Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung

Germany The Bundesversammlung für Genuss, Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung (Federal Assembly for Enjoyment, Freedom, and Self-Determination) is a nationwide umbrella organization in Germany for associations and initiatives that resist the increasing restrictions state nannyism is imposing upon individual liberties.

It is currently comprised of 15 individual organizations, and is growing. Five of these member organizations are active on a nationwide level, while nine of them focus on one German state each, and one on several states.

Our work centres around:

a) Smoking bans;
b) Alcohol bans;
c) Food dogmas and sanctions for citizens resulting from that;
d) Public noise ordinances and their impact on traditional social life;
e) Improvement of tolerance between citizens who may support one or more of a) – d) but not necessarily the others.

Unfortunately, there is a good chance that the variety of issues to be covered will expand even further due to political developments in Germany.

Celtexmusic

Scotland/USA Celtexmusic……. was set up in the Spring of 2008, by International Partners, Stefan Aitkenhead in Scotland, and Mike McAlister in Texas, USA. The Partnership was first founded in and then registered in Bandera, Texas on April 15th, 2008.

Mike and Stef first met up in the Bandera Saloon, a focus point and place for the best music the World can offer from some of the great as yet unheard musicians of America, and to experience the hospitality of Texas. They established an immediate friendship, this being quickly cemented by their mutual and passionate love of ‘Live Music’. This friendship led to hours of conversation, inspirational thinking, and sharing of ideas.

The Idea: A Trans Atlantic musical exchange programme; a road show of American musicians touring in Scottish venues and in reply, a road show of Scottish musicians touring venues in the U.S. The venue trail; The creation of a continuous circle of gigs in both territories, building a collaboration between promoters, events organisers, and venues owners.

Why? Who doesn’t want to go on an organised tour, play in new towns, new cities, new States, meet new folk and do some kick ass gigs. Initially the venues will be in Texas and Scotland performing as two touring bills. So who in Scotland wants to gig in America? And who in America wants to gig in Scotland? We realise there is much convergence between the two musical cultures providing great scope for interaction. This is chance to go to new places and play to whole new audiences, sell your albums, make new contacts and take advantage of all the many new opportunities.

Sowing the seeds: A few steps at a time, we will grow to become a network between the two countries easing the flow of musical exchange. A mixing of the old world, and the new world and planting the seeds for some new music for the rest of the world to sit up and listen too.

The name of this project was devised, from the words, Celtic, Texan and Music, and were then sensibly combined. Celtexmusic is an open blackboard for musicians, venue owners and promoters. Informing, promoting, assisting and chalking up ideas. The website under construction will contain biogs, venue details, MySpace links, individual web links, support links and eventually an online music shop. The site will also contain an updated magazine featuring and promoting the unsung and legendary musicians in our communities involved with the celtexmusic network. Whilst also putting the spotlight on young and upcoming artists with interviews and photos.

Contact

David Goerlitz & Associates

USA Dave Goerlitz is a professional actor, producer, model,public speaker and educator. His career includes work in film, stage, commercial advertising and tobacco-free activism. Although he has been featured in highly successful commercials for a number of vendors, he is perhaps best known as the lead "Winston Man" in R.J. Reynolds' lucrative "Search and Rescue" advertisement series, which helped move Winston Cigarettes from Number 4 to Number 2 in worldwide sales. Goerlitz was featured in 42 of these ads, more than any other tobacco model, including the Marlboro Men.

In November 1988, Dave Goerlitz took a historic stand against the tobacco industry: he publicly participated in the "Great American Smoke-Out" and condemning the industry's advertising, which targets kids and their sale and their sale of tobacco products to the young people of the world. Since then, he has been honored by the World Health Organization, The American Cancer Society, The American Lung Association, and The American Heart Association on both the national and local levels. Over the past six years, he has told his story to over 5,000,000 young people and adults throughout North America, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and Sweden.

Recently, Goerlitz finds himself out of line with the anti-tobacco movement, a movement that has become preoccupied with ‘denormalizing’ smoking to the point where it is denormalizing human beings.

Horecaclaim Belgium

Belgium The object of Maatschap Horecaclaim Belgium

Horecaclaim Netherlands Initiative für Genuss Berlin Geneva Dissidents Libertarian Party of Canada National Smoking Day

Opponents of Ohio Bans The Party against Nannyism

Rauchen NRW

The Voice of Freedom Network

Tobacco Smokers of Canada

Australian Libertarian Society (ALS) |The Hittman Chronicle