News has just been announced that the second international conference against prohibition is to be held in March next year in The Hague, Netherlands.
The event will be held in memory of Gian Turci, the father of the international pro-choice movement and an inspiration to people around the world. Gian died last March and this event will celebrate his life and work as well as examine the effects of prohibition on the hospitality industry.
Gian, an Italian, had previously lived in Canada. He became involved in the pro-choice movement when his children were lined up at school with others and sniffed by teachers who then sent a letter home to all smoking parents. Gian took huge offence, and began his fight for social justice for smokers and an end to the fraudulent use of epidemiology statistics and evidence to oppress smokers in public.
A great man who touched the lives of many, Gian helped to organise the first anti-prohibition conference last year in Brussels. His dream of visiting the centre of European democracy and to have the cause heard in our own European Parliament was destroyed when one letter of protest from a smoke free representative led to the cancellation of the event two days before it was due to take place. Too late, also, to alert the many people who were booked to attend from around the world.
They say the marathon effort involved in reorganising the conference contributed to Gian's death soon afterwards. Many of us still mourn his passing but we will never forget his influence and passion.
Many renowned medical experts gave wonderful and informative speeches last year and as I write, speakers are being approached for the event next March, including, David Goerlitz - the former Winston Cigarettes ad man who hates tobacco but the fraudulent tactics of the anti-tobacco movement even more.
More updates about the conference due to be held on March 15, at the niewspoort, The Haugue, will be included on this blog as they come in.
http://www.antiprohibition.org/ticap_pages.php?q=15