Get Involved

Sign up

There are lots of ways you can get involved. The first thing you can do is sign up and encourage friends and family to do the same. The more supporters we have the greater our chances of success. Supporters will receive an occasional e-newsletter containing news and information about forthcoming events. Click here >

Write to your MP

Many MPs believe that the smoking ban is no longer an issue. At a Forest reception at the House of Commons in July 2008 one MP told Forest director Simon Clark that he hadn't received a single letter of complaint about the ban. More recently another MP told a group of publicans that it is now "unacceptable" to even talk about amending the smoking ban.

We know this is not true. We know there is lingering resentment about the extent of the ban and the social and economic impact it continues to have on local communities and many small businesses including pubs and clubs.

Your MP can't be expected to know if you don't tell them. So write to them. Tell them how the ban has affected your social life, and the impact it has had on your local pub or club. Tell them about the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign and urge them to support an amendment to the ban that would allow, for example, separate smoking rooms in pubs and clubs.

Remind Labour MPs that the government reneged on an election manifesto promise to exempt from the ban private members' clubs and pubs that don't serve food. Explain that this is one of the reasons why you are disillusioned with the present government.

The more letters they receive from constituents the more likely they are to sit up and take notice.

To find out who your MP is visit www.theyworkforyou.com.

You can write to your MP by email or by post. We recommend that you write a personalised letter and send it to your MP at:

House of Commons
Westminster
London SW1A 0AA

Write to your local newspaper

Keep the issue alive by writing to your local newspaper about the impact the smoking ban has had on your life and the pubs and clubs in your area. Suggest amendments to the ban, like separate smoking rooms, that will offer choice to smokers and non-smokers alike, including staff. Mention the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign and encourage people to join.

Create a local group and organise a meeting

For this campaign to succeed we have to be active at a local level before we can even think about going national. Over the next 12 months we will create a series of local groups around the country. These will be based around pubs and clubs but anyone can join and support the campaign. These groups will communicate with local MPs, local newspapers and local publicans. If you are interested in creating, developing or joining a local group, please contact us.

Order a campaign pack

We will send you a campaign pack that includes a car sticker for your own use, plus campaign leaflets, beer mats and supporter sign-up forms. Licensees will receive a window sticker for their pub or club. Email your contact details to info@amendthesmokingban.com or telephone 01223 370156.

Link to our website

If you have a blog or website, please link to our website and publicise our campaign. Campaign buttons and banners will shortly available that can be embedded in your website. In the meantime here is the code to add a basic link:

<!--Start SOPAC Link code -->
<a href="http://www.amendthesmokingban.com">Save Our Pubs &amp; Clubs</a>
<!--End SOPAC Link code -->