FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON NONSMOKERS’
RIGHTS
The Fourth World Conference on
Nonsmokers’ Rights was held in Washington, DC on April 7-8, 2006.
It was by far the largest, most diverse, and most successful of the
three world conferences on nonsmokers’ rights sponsored by the Flight
Attendant Medical Research Institute [FAMRI] – despite several major
problems which, although eventually overcome, kept it from reaching its
full potential this year [more on these problems later].
However, the most important
achievement of the Conference was that a number of participants were
able to report back about how what they had seen and heard at an
earlier
FAMRI-sponsored world conference had inspired and emboldened them to go
back to their own campuses – and, in a few situations for the foreign
visitors, to their home countries – and actually undertake new
successful nonsmokers’ rights projects. In short, the major
objectives of the contest and conference –
to encourage
innovative
actions to protect and advance the rights of nonsmokers, are being
accomplished.
The Fourth World Conference was
attended by a
record number of law students from U.S. and Canadian law schools who
were finalists in a major contest to originate, research, and present
new and novel ways to use legal action to protect and expand the rights
of nonsmokers. Each of the finalists – and there were also a
record number of contest entries – was given an opportunity to present
his or her proposal to the Conference in a plenary session where it was
briefly discussed, and each students then had an opportunity to respond
to questions and comments.
In an effort to further inspire the
law students, and to encourage established nonsmokers’ rights
organizations to make more effective use of legal action in protecting
the rights of nonsmokers, a separate contest was also held at which
practicing activist attorneys could present their own ideas, and then
have them discussed by the entire assembly. As an interesting
twist, while the contest among the law students was judged by a panel
of distinguished experts, the law students were asked to judge the best
new idea presented by a legal activist.
One of the major highlights of the
Conference was a very lively panel of representatives from more than
half a dozen foreign countries who each described the problems
nonsmokers
(both residents and visitors) faced in their country, and what progress
was being made, both generally and under the impetus of the
newly-adopted Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [FCTC]. In
several cases the representatives described how they had been inspired
by one of the earlier FAMRI-sponsored world nonsmokers’ rights
conferences to return to their own country to see if the US-type of
activist approach could be equally successful. In several cases
it was, and nonsmokers are now reaping the benefits in those
countries. In
several where the legal action wasn't successful in court, it
nevertheless helped to generate publicity and attract public support
for the nonsmokers’ rights cause in that country – a foundation upon
which the organization could later try to build.
This year a new feature was added to
the Conference. Two presenters, and a lively discussion which
ensued, explained to the attendees how a very important but largely
underutilized legal action could be very effective in helping
nonsmokers. The Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA] – under
which people sensitive to tobacco smoke may be classified as “persons
with disabilities” who are then entitled to a “reasonable
accommodation” to ensure that they enjoy equal access –
was explained
and illustrated with actual examples of successful actions on behalf of
nonsmokers.
The attendees also learned that a very
new international treaty designed to protect people with disabilities
has just come into force, and that it incorporated much of the same
language and principles as the ADA. This means that, beyond its
utility in the U.S., the ADA and the precedents being established under
it for nonsmokers’ may soon have application around the world,
especially if information about these important developments can be
effectively transmitted to nonsmokers’ rights activists both here and
abroad.
As they had at past conference,
representatives from FAMRI helped to inspire both law students and
seasoned veterans alike by describing some of the progress they have
helped to achieve, and some of the interesting and promising projects
FAMRI is now funding. Another very interesting aspect of the
Conference was an opportunity for the participants to discuss and
debate what new frontiers or battlegrounds should we as activists try
to open for nonsmokers. For example, should we:
■ build upon growing concern about
global warming to stress how much tobacco – including growing and
processing – needlessly adds to greenhouse gases;
■ stress the very serious adverse impact secondhand tobacco smoke
has on pets, and consider the possible application of animal protection
laws;
■ try to expand the need to protect young children from tobacco smoke
beyond custody disputes and foster children where it is already being
established to the adoption system;
■ support banning all smoking in all cars as a means for reducing
traffic accidents;
■ concentrate on the litter problem caused by smoking in arguing for
smoking bans (e.g., on beaches), etc.
Established antismoking activists were able to share their experiences
with law students who, of course, were able to bring a fresh
perspective and a new insight from the upcoming generation to these
discussions.
As noted above, the Conference was
amazingly successful despite several major problems. The first
was that, due to inadvertence by the person responsible for maintaining
the contest web site and related Internet matters, the web site was
initially not updated from 2006 to alert visitors that a new contest
and a new conference was going to be held for 2007. This was
compounded by a related problem which rendered the old email address
for the contest noted on the web site inoperable.
As a result, many law students who had
heard about the contest went to the web site and apparently concluded
that the contest was no longer being held. Those who were curious
enough to try sending an email to the contest email address found it
returned to them with no response – thereby presumably reinforcing the
idea that the contest was no longer being held in 2007. Once
these twin problems were discovered and corrected, the organizers send
out emergency
letters and emails to deans, writing instructors, and other key people
at all of the American and Canadian law schools. Thus a record
number of students still participated – but the response would have
been much larger had these problems not occurred.
Still another problem was that the
date for the Conference was chosen to correspond to the expected
peaking of
Washington’s world famous cherry blossoms. This way law students
and other participants would have, as an additional incentive to
participate in the contest and conference, an opportunity to see these
blossoms for themselves. Unfortunately, the weekend chosen to
coincide with the predicted cherry blossom peaking was – inadvertently
–
also Easter weekend.
Unfortunately, this fact was not
discovered until after arrangements had been made with the law school
where the Conference is held to reserve the very popular rooms where
the events were to take place. Once the problem was discovered,
it was too late to change the reservations for another weekend.
Thus, while this Conference enjoyed a record turnout, the turnout
almost certainly would have been much greater if participants
were not required to attend on such an important and widely
celebrated holiday.
In summary, the contest and Conference were overwhelmingly successful,
and produced clear evidence that its educational impact is having the
desired effect: encouraging law students, US-based attorneys, and
activists from other countries to use legal action and other activist
techniques to fight for nonsmokers' rights. It was by far the largest, most diverse,
and most successful of the
three world conferences on nonsmokers’ rights sponsored by the Flight
Attendant Medical Research Institute [FAMRI]. Undoubtedly, it
would have been even more successful if several mistakes had not been
made. Fortunately, these mistakes will not be repeated, and the
organizers are learning from every conference, establishing a name and
reputation, and developing contacts and techniques which could lead to
even more successful world conferences in the future.
SCHEDULE & AGENDA
FRIDAY EVENING [in the FACULTY CONFERENCE CENTER*]:
07:30-09:00 Get-together DINNER, Some Introductions,
and Initial registration [90 min]
SATURDAY MORNING [in the MOOT COURT**]:
■ 09:00-09:30 BREAKFAST and final registration (registration closes at
09:30 SHARP)
■ 9:30-9:45 Welcome, by Elizabeth A Kress, Executive Director of FAMRI
■ 9:45-10:15 Opening Remarks and Saturday Keynote, by Law Professor
John Banzhaf
■ 10:15-11:15 PANEL ONE – Law Student Presentations
■ 11:15-11:30 BREAK
■ 11:30-12:30 PANEL TWO – Law Student Presentations
■ 12:30-12:55 New Developments, New Directions, New Problems
SATURDAY MIDDAY [UPstairs in the FACULTY CONFERENCE CENTER*]
■ 01:00-02:00 LUNCH with luncheon presentation
SATURDAY AFTERNOON [DOWNstairs in the MOOT COURT**]
■ 2:00-2:15 Employment Opportunities in Nonsmokers’ Rights, by Law
Professor John Banzhaf
■ 2:15-3:15 PANEL THREE – Law Student Presentations
■ 3:15-3:30 BREAK
■ 3:30-4:30 PANEL FOUR – Student Presentations
■ 4:30-5:30 PANEL FIVE – Presentations by Activists
■ 5:30-6:00 Using the ADA to Protect Nonsmokers, by Jack Cannon and
Prof. John Banzhaf
SUNDAY MORNING [in the MOOT COURT**]
■ 09:00-09:30 BREAKFAST
■ 09:30-10:00 Sunday Keynote by FAMRI
■ 10:00-11:30 PANEL SIX – International and World Wide Nonsmokers’
Rights
■ 11:30-11:45 Announcement of Winners & Presentation of Awards
■ 11:45-Noon Closing Remarks, by Law Professor John Banzhaf
■ Noon-1:00 OPTIONAL (box) LUNCH, with open mike discussion/forum
* The FACULTY CONFERENCE CENTER, where the initial Friday night dinner
and the Saturday luncheon will be held, is located on the FIFTH (5)
floor of the Jacob Burns Library Building in the Law School complex.
To get there, please enter through the main entrance at 2000 H St [on H
Street] and go directly ahead [South] until you cannot proceed any
further. On your right will be the law library.
Take the elevator just outside the law library -- not the one in the
middle of the law school complex-- to the FIFTH [5th] floor.
On exiting, take an immediate right to enter the Faculty Conference
Center after passing by male and female rest rooms.
** The MOOT COURT, where the remainder of the Conference will be held
-- including the Saturday and Sunday breakfast, and the box lunch on
Sunday -- is located on the ground floor of the Lerner Hall, 2000 H
Street, NW, Washington, DC. It is part of the main Law School complex.
To get there, please enter through the main entrance at 2000 H St [on H
Street] and take an immediate right. After passing a male rest room,
you will enter through the main door to the Moot Court. Just outside
the other door from the Moot Court is a female rest room.
CONTACT INFO: Prior to the beginning of the Conference – i.e.,
before 6 PM on 4/6/07 – you can reach Conference personnel by
calling (202) 659-4312 or at info@nosmokingcontest.org
During the Conference, call (202) 360-8640 or (703) 966-6973.