A Survey Of Smokers

One foible that anti-smoking organisations across the globe share is that they are absolutely terrified of actually engaging with the people they abuse ... smokers.

They will commission pliant fellow smoker-haters to conduct cleverly-dodgy 'research' of course, but they don't really want to know what smokers think. They just want a sound bite to use as a stick to beat them with. So this initiative from Forest is a good idea, I reckon.

ANTI-SMOKING campaigners like to bombard politicians and the media with 'facts' about smokers.  

The most common 'statistic' is that 70 per cent of smokers want to quit. More generally they like to give the impression that most smokers wish they'd never started. 

Some smokers probably do fall into one or both of those camps and if you want to quit smoking or switch to a safer alternative such as electronic cigarettes, good luck to you. That's entirely your choice. 

But it's not the full story. Despite the well-known health risks many smokers say they enjoy smoking and have no wish to stop. Sadly their voices are usually drowned out by politicians, the public health industry and even the media who all think they know better.
To find out what smokers really think about these and other issues the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR) in Glasgow has designed an in-depth survey.

Indeed they have, I've just done it myself, and I suggest you do too.

Unlike the questionable echo chamber pals that ASH use to gather their propaganda, the study designer - the Centre for Substance Use Research - is an impartial organisation which is actually interested in what motivates the public in nicotine use, not just out to create a headline to nag an MP into yet more prohibition which just happens to put more cash into Arnott and her pals' pockets at ASH HQ.

Do go contribute by clicking here.