September 4, 1998

Bad week for the anti-tobacco cartel in British Columbia. The tide is beginning to turn here in the Great North as well, and the anti-smoking crusade has suffered some setbacks in Vancouver.

CANADIAN TOBACCO MANUFACTURERS' COUNCIL OPENS AN OFFICE IN VANCOUVER - Perhaps the most significant is a decision by the Canadian tobacco industry to give more attention to British Columbia -- the province that has the most virulently anti-smoking government in Canada. This week, the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council opened an office in British Columbia. The move comes at a time when the B.C. government is bringing in legislation that would require tobacco companies to pay $20 million in annual licensing fees, and to conform to new packaging requirements that the industry has said are unreasonable. In addition, the province has declared its intention to launch a U.S.-style health-care cost "recovery" lawsuit. The first initiative from the CTM office will be a new newspaper advertising campaign. We welcome a different voice -- B.C. taxpayers are forced to foot the bill for an expensive, aggressive series of anti-smoking ads from the NDP provincial government -- and we're tired of being subjected to the NDP's dental-drill whine!

PROVINCIAL COURT IN VANCOUVER SAYS THAT RESTAURANT OPERATORS DON'T HAVE TO BE THE SMOKE POLICE - Vancouver restaurant owners don't have to be smoke police. That's the effect of a provincial court ruling in Vancouver, B.C. in the case of a restaurant that was charged for violating the City of Vancouver's smoking ban bylaw. In the case before the court, the restaurant was charged with a violation for permitting its customer to smoke. The court decision does not affect the ability of the city to charge individual smokers with a violation of the ban. A spokesperson from the city's legal department was quoted as saying that an immediate appeal was being filed, but no decision had been made over whether to continue citing restaurants while awaiting a decision.

NORTH VANCOUVER PUTS OFF THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE SMOKING BAN - Meanwhile in North Vancouver, officials are putting off the enforcement of the city's restaurant and pub smoking restrictions. The bylaw officially came into effect July 13, but now won't be enforced until October or November. A "pre-enforcement campaign" is being recommended to the city council by city staff. We can safely speculate that the "pre-enforcement campaign" will be carried out by the gang of the health officers and "non-profits", and it will be based on the usual institutional deceptions, falsified statistics, paternalism, and false information about the "dangers" of secondhand smoke. But the city has showed its lack of confidence over the whole project by dragging its heels on enforcement. Maybe they're starting to realize that this kind of by-law may be unenforceable.

April 17, 1998

GLEN, GET A GRIP! - The Financial Post's Diane Francis, one of Canada's most respected business journalists, weighs in on anti-tobacco Canadian-style, and the specific follies of the British Columbia government. "Here we have governments suing companies for distributing a product governments allow (even though warnings are required by governments) and that has reaped a windfall for governments. Does that not make governments a co-defendant?" (Diane Francis/Financial Post)

April 1, 1998
THE ANSWER OF GLEN CLARK, PREMIER OF BC, TO FORCES CANADA - Inside is the copy of the answer of Glen Clark, premier of BC, to a previous letter of FORCES Canada pertinent to the latest round of propaganda directed against tobacco industry and smokers. As you can see, communicating with a government that on this as on many other issues has demonstrated to possess clear fascist marks is a waste of time, for the concept of democratic dialogue is alien to them. We are not surprised, since we are talking about antismokers. Our purpose, however, is not to dialogue with fascists, but to force them to respond, thus exposing their agenda to establish their responsibilities for a not too distant time when they -- and the Canadian antismokers cartel -- will have to answer to charges in a court of law.

THE REBUTTAL OF FORCES CANADA

March 13, 1998
VANCOUVER: THE SMOKING SECTION'S OPEN DESPITE CITY BULLYING, WHILE NORTH VANCOUVER KILLS SMOKING BAN
A major Vancouver restaurant is stubbornly defying the city's butt-ban bylaw, despite being recently hit with a $1,000 fine and threats from the city that its business licence could be pulled. Meanwhile, a blanket smoking ban for all publicly accessible places has been nixed for the city of North Vancouver.

January 24, 1998
THE B.C. MINISTER OF HEALTH LIES TO THE POPULATION
THE LETTER OF FORCES CANADA TO JOY MacPHAIL: FINALLY GIVING THE MINISTER HER DUE - Joy MacPhail, BC Minister of Health, delivered last Monday another fanatical antitobacco speech to the population. The Minister has long ago bought the package of lies and falsifications from the U.S.A., including the new updates -- and she is using them profusely to sidetrack other issues of her troubled party, but this time she has overstepped even her own fantasies. The Ministry should promptly supply psychiatric support for its leader, or perhaps consider renaming itself "The Ministry of Temperance".

WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU QUIT - "Backed by faulty science, the WCB will impose a smoking ban on B.C. business." We link to the archives of British Columbia Report, B.C.'s weekly newsmagazine. Thanks to B.C. Report for this thoughtful coverage of the issue, and for its mention of FORCES Canada in a sidebar in the print edition of this story.

THE STUPIDITY OF A DECISION WITHOUT EFFECT - After two years of rejection, the B.C. College of Pharmacists decided to surrender to the wave of hate and stupidity of the antismoking agenda. Soon, drug stores will not sell cigarettes anymore. Reason? "To reduce access to tobacco". The other retail stores are rubbing their hands with glee. More inside.

APEC SMOKERS WELCOME IN VANCOUVER -- or -- THE BAN DOES NOT WORK - There's one set of rules for citizens, and another for visiting dignitaries, as Vancouver B.C. welcomes delegates to the APEC economic conference. The Vancouver smoking ban has been lifted for the conference, which means delegates like Suharto and his minions will get to puff away with impunity, while little old lady shoppers wanting a place to alight for a sandwich and a cigarette will be back standing outdoors with their cigarettes as soon as the VIPs leave.
TOURISM INDUSTRY TAKE NOTE: this provides all the evidence you should need to understand that foreign guests expect to be able to smoke when they visit.

October 23, 1997
IF IT'S PASSED, WE WILL NOT COMPLY - The Union of British Columbia Municipalities has voted to recommend the adoption of a PROVINCE-WIDE SMOKING BAN IN ALL PUBLIC AREAS by the Provincial Government. This is the result of the work of antismoking criminals who have managed to convince the majority of the municipalities of the "dangers" of secondhand smoke. The civil rights of British Columbians have been infringed upon once again. The irresponsible criminals guilty of spreading FALSE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION must be delivered into the hands of justice, no matter how long is going to take. In the meantime, we WILL DISOBEY THE LAW, whenever it will come into effect.

October 21, 1997
MEDIA MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE WCB "BAN" - On October 21, 1997, the BC media went bonkers in announcing that the BC Workers Compensation Board announced a ban on smoking in the workplace in British Columbia. The fact is that THE WCB HAS NOT BANNED SMOKING IN THE WORKPLACE. In fact, they offer ample options and provisions for the accommodation of smokers. Banning smoke is the last resort in the case, for example, of small rooms without any ventilation and with a lot of people in them. In a case like that, it is quite obvious that smoke can be a disturbing element, and common courtesy dictates that without the need of a law, anyway. So, DO NOT LET ANYBODY TELL YOU THAT SMOKING IS ILLEGAL IN THE WORKPLACE BY ORDER OF WCB. IT IS A LIE.

October 11, 1997
TOBACCO OUT, SLOT MACHINES AND HEROIN IN? - The B.C. provincial government is dabbling in "sin" with a capriciousness that is both cynical and mischievous. It's a vice-juggling act that combines paternalism and moralizing, greed, powerlust, and a desire to pacify those who call for "harm reduction." Right now, all these factors are in full collision.

September 19, 1997
ONE LAST LETTER BEFORE THE VOTE - FORCES CANADA urges BC municipalities not to give the provincial government a mandate for micro-management of businesses thorugh blanket smoking bans.

September 19, 1997
COQUITLAM: DON'T LOOK AT FOREIGN STRANGERS - A dust-up at a B.C. school over the issue of protecting children from contact with adult English as a Second Language students makes one stop and wonder about what is going on with our collective psyche.

August 22, 1997
THE LETTER OF FORCES CANADA TO THE GREATER VANCOUVER REGIONAL DISTRICT'S HEALTH BOARD - The GVRD Health Board is applying pressure for a general smoking ban in the Greater Vancouver area. FORCES Canada challenges the Health Board to procure any solid evidence other than meta-analysis on the dangers of second-hand smoke. Even though the standard procedure of this government seems to be to ignore anyone who calls its lies (why should they answer? They have the power, citizens can go to hell) FORCES Canada will continue to publicly challenge them and their accomplices to prove with serious science the solidity of their claims on secondhand smoke.

July 28, 1997
TRI-CITIES: UNIFORM SMOKING BAN CANNED - Antismokers aren't so cheerful now that the cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody have failed to come up with a uniform smoking ban plan. In the works: three different bylaws for the three different communities, with vague aspirations of a tougher or complete ban by the year 2000. See Canadian Tobacco News. Let's not rejoyce too soon. The antis will be on the attack at the provincial level, trying to ram their garbage down our throats!

July 24, 1997
SURREY: SMOKING BAN CANNED - The city of Surrey (the largest municipality in Canada) has decided put off the smoking ban in restaurants and bars until the year 2000, while exempting permanently bingo halls, casinos, and private clubs. This is a landmark decision likely to affect other municipalities. At this time, we do not know what is the position on the neighbouring cities. This is just a small, temporary victory of common sense and freedom. The enormous job in front of us is to make the population and municipal authorities see the scientifically sound reality that second hand smoke is not a threat to health, notwithstanding the lies and propaganda of the Ministry of Health, a large part of the local press, and antitobacco activists. This extension may buy us the time we need for the job.

July 10, 1997
THE FORCES CANADA LETTER TO THE B.C. MUNICIPALITIES - The BC Ministry of Health, in its relentless persecution of smokers coupled with the spreading of misinformation about smoking in general and secondhand smoke in particular is actively encouraging all the British Columbia municipalities to mandate the government for a province- wide smoking ban in public places California-style (believe it or not, California is the model state for the BC government!). In this way, antismoking gangsters hope to get around the failure of municipal smoking bans, not very effective because of quiet, massive non-compliance, and because of the so-called "checkerboard effect", where smokers simply bring their business to the neighbouring municipality that does not yet have a smoking ban. FORCES Canada has sent this letter to the over 200 municipalities and villages of B.C., explaining the maneuvers and the lies of the BC government. Council members, the evidence is here. So is truth, commonsense and antifascism. All you have to do is have the courage to not be intimidated

June 25, 1997
AN OPEN LETTER TO BC's HEALTH MINISTER JOY McPHAIL - A letter protesting the gangster-like abuse of government power in "facilitating" the ability of individuals to sue the tobacco companies. In this dirty deal, courts would admit evidence that would be normally thrown out. This exception applies only to tobacco law suits. The criminal contempt for due process is crystal clear. But here is the punch line: the award does not go to the patient plaintiff, but to the BC Government, which in turn apportions to the patient the amount that it sees fit, while keeping the rest for "health care damage recovery"! Al Capone, where are you?