First International Conference on Smokers’ Rights
H/T Taking Liberties for news of the first international conference on smokers’ rights (in Moscow, I believe, just before the WHO anti smoking conference (A smoking ban was introduced 1 June 2014 in Russia). The following is an unmodified Google translation of a report on tabak-zakon.ru:
September 30, 2014 in Moscow the first international conference on the rights of smokers . The event attended by delegates from 21 countries: Australia, Belarus, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Latvia, Moldova, Nicaragua, Peru, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Croatia, Switzerland and Estonia, – the territory of which in the aggregate are more than 250 million smokers.
Guests of honor at the conference were the All-Russian Co-Chair of the movement for the rights of smokers , Gennady Seleznev , the head of the Indonesian club smokers Nitisaputra Samuel , as well as President of the Club de Fumadores por la Tolerancia Alvaro Garrido (Spain). As a moderator and presenter of the meeting was the executive director of the All-Russian Movement for rights of smokers Andrew Rags .
Participants discussed the national and international trends in the field of tobacco control. As noted by the delegates, many states adhere to a balanced approach to regulation, however, certain countries do not stop in front of the most radical measures, turning smokers into social outcasts. Unfortunately, this situation is in Russia after the entry into force of one of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world.
General concern were increasing attempts to harass and discriminate against moral adults, deliberately chose the tobacco part of their lives.
Gennady Seleznev : “All smoking bans imposed in our country, can be regarded only as a social discrimination. Comes to the ridiculous – you can refuse to accept a job just because you are a smoker. In modern civil society, such segregation is unacceptable “ .
The conference was attended by the former minister of economy of Russia Andrei Nechayev :“Western countries often try to teach us democracy, but in this case, give us a bad example.Discrimination of smokers went exactly with the West, and we, unfortunately, proved to be good students, and in some cases – have advanced much further “ .
Samuel Nitisaputra : “In Indonesia, 135 million smokers citizens.
Samuel Nitisaputra : “In Indonesia, 135 million smokers citizens.
Following the adoption of anti-smoking law, we appealed to the Constitutional Court. The court took our side and ruled that the rights of smokers must be respected – the situation began to change for the better. “
Alvaro Garrido : “In our club smokers in Spain is more than 100 thousand people. Our main goal – to spread the ideas of tolerance and mutual respect in the society. We try to work creatively: once we sent reporters earplugs as a sign that the state does not hear the voice of smokers. “
Read More At:? Russian Smoking Ban Page 1
