Quote of the President, during the First International Conference on Smokers’ Rights, Moscow, September 30, 2014

Romanian Smokers Association, quote of the President, during the First International Conference on Smokers’ Rights taking place in Moscow, Russian Federation on September 30, 2014.

"We believe the states and governments should be the guardians of the traditions, habits and choices of their own people and as such governments should represent them.

It is not the duty of the governments to change, impose or prohibit, to normalize or de-normalize values, cultures, beliefs.

We believe that any kind of prohibition causes the following effects:

(1) Opening criminal markets (smuggling, counterfeiting);
(2) Creating violence and dividing society;
(3) Increasing fraud;
(4) Replacing freedom with a police state and surveillance society."