A site to behold
A post by Simon Clark piqued my interest.
Now web sites put up by the Tobacco Haters always deserve a visit so naturally I delved a bit deeper. After all, $20 million’s worth must be quite something? All singing all dancing? Using technology that hasn’t even been invented yet?
The site is apparently called STOP. I would expect that with $20 million at their disposal they would manage to buy a suitable domain. But they didn’t. They went instead for https://exposetobacco.org/ In the weird world of Tobacco Control I suppose that must make some kind of sense?
So having discovered their address I plunged in to see this wondrous vision.
It’s a WordPress site.
I have nothing against WordPress whatsoever and I use it all the time, but I suppose that with a tight budget they must choose free software?
Anyhows, as Simon has already pointed out, the site is a bit of a disaster. It must have cost them at least a couple of hundred, so that leaves plenty for nice fat salaries and bonuses?
One thing that struck me is that the site is crying out for a parody. I would do it myself, but I don’t have the time these days. All it would need is a database [easy to set up], but what to put in it? How about a database of all the characters involved in Tobacco Control with a list of their research and how that research was easily debunked. There could be league tables with stars awarded for the most ridiculous claims?
It would have to have a suitable name of course. Tobacco Control love their little acronyms so it would have to have its own one.
Can anyone think up a suitable name with the acronym CUNTS?
Cigarette Users uNited against Tobacco control Scum
Cigarette Users Naysaying Tobacco-control Scumbags
Good so far, but don't forget those of us who prefer alternatives to the cigarette?
Thanks, Grandad, for thinking of and including the ones who prefer alternatives to the cigarette – I believe it's really important that smokers and users of other nicotine products fight together instead of letting themselves be "divided and conquered" by the usual good old Tobacco Control tactics.
Combatant Users of Nicotine against Tobacco control Scum?
That would be quite a big database if it's supposed to list all debunked junk science … but I like the idea. Very much. I’m afraid though, it could turn into a full-time job, the way Tobacco Control churns out the junk …
STOP was founded by the Bloomberg Foundation in reaction to the Foundation for a Smoke Free World with PMI (Philip Morris International) money, if I rember right, directly after Derek Yach (formerly with WHO, one of the "architects" of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, now CEO of the Foundation for a Smoke Free World) was excluded from one of WHO big do's on Tobacco Control.
Maybe you overlooked this site, Sir. Or perhaps forgot about it.
Rather than devote time starting from scratch, why not contribute to it?
tctactics.org
The whole thing's driven by unpaid volunteers.
Date of latest edit: 14 December 2016.
Of course I hadn't forgotten about it. At least I have the distinction of getting a mention which is more than I ever got in the original. That was supreme disappointment that hurt me to the core.
Customers Understand Nicotine Tastes Super
Cretins UNited in Tormenting Smokers?
See You Next Tuesday Shitheads
What's happening on Tuesday?
That site looks more like a modern day version of a late '90's conspiracy site than anything else. I won't venture into the acronym part of it. Too many good suggestions already.