Twenty North American smokers' rights groups and international groups representing Europe and Asia convened on the weekend of March 21 in Washington, D.C. to join forces to fight increasing discrimination directed against North American smokers and smokers everywhere. The conference marks the first major international initiative to join hands in the fight to protect the rights of smokers.

At the conference, participating North American groups took preliminary steps toward the creation of Smokepeace North America, an umbrella organization. Smokepeace North America will establish cooperation with Smokepeace Europe and Smokepeace Asia, which encompass 18 national smokers rights groups throughout the world representing smokers and sympathetic non-smokers.

Smokepeace North America will promote correct and complete information about smoking issues and health issues, and will encourage tolerance and courtesy between smokers and nonsmokers.

The creation of Smokepeace North America is a response to an increasingly prohibitionistic environment with respect to smoking. Smokepeace will speak out for the interests of the 60-70 million North American smokers affected by unreasonable restrictions and discrimination.