Ash Scotland the Fake charity.

I don't smoke, I will never smoke, smoking is a life style choice and if you as an individual want to die early then that is your choice, just don't get me involved in your life style decisions and don't expect me as an individual to pay for YOUR life style mistakes. You own your own life, body and no one else, so take responsibility for your own life and don't expect the rest of us to bail you out.

However there is an organisation called Ash Scotland who claim they "We play a key role in raising awareness about tobacco use and its harmful effects" which is fine, I have no issues with voluntary/charity groups offering advise on cigarettes or to educate the public on the dangerous of cigarettes.

The twist is Ash Scotland is not a charity, it is not even a voluntary organisation but funded virtually 100% by your money and with out your consent. I would not have a problem with the organisation if it was funded by voluntary donations but it is funded by money that has been taken from us by force or may I say taxes..

It would be no difference of my self running a charity called "Anti Drinking" then going around with a gun, using force on individuals to fund the organisation. Ash Scotland is no more than a fake charity, funded by money that was stolen from you the general public.

Not just being a fake charity, it also spends a lot of its resources lobbying government, and does so successfully, and for an organisation funded by taxes clearly undermines the democratic system of this country.

The government is accountable to the people of this country not another government organisation or in this case a fake charity funded by your money with out your consent, but even worse it is what this organisation campaigns for that every citizen of this country should be concerned about.

On the website "ASH Scotland campaigns for effective tobacco control policies in Scotland." or in other words a totalitarian/police state, individuals should be free to decide on their own life style choices with out state interference. As an example Ash Scotland campaigns for banning of cigarettes display, public smoking ban or as far as dictating laws on private property, these laws issued only after Ash Scotland lobbying undermines some of the freedoms we enjoy in this country.

For example the ban on the display of cigarettes or advertising undermined the right of a smoker on making an informed choice or smoking ban in pubs (inc smoking in your own car) is a blighted interference on the individuals property rights. If you own your own pub, it is up to you the pub owner to dictate the rules and not the state, individuals are free visit or not visit the pub irrelevant of the health risks. No one is forcing the individual to enter the pub or not, and if government is banning smoking in a pub what is stopping government from banning smoking in an individuals home.

An organisation called freedom2choose has highlighted other issues with Ash Scotland including highlighting some of Ash Scotland amateur research into the effects of passive smoking and the endless corruption within the organisation. I would advise all individuals who respect liberty and freedom to contact their local MSP, and stop government funding of this fake charity calling it self Ash Scotland.