Foreword
We have made it our mission to stand up for a smoke-free society and to fight for it with all justifiable means. The air we breathe is a legal right that is subject to the special protection of the German Basic Law and is vital for all of us. We are committed to the unrestricted right of all citizens to breathe air that is free from tobacco smoke. We do not accept any money from the tobacco industry or companies associated with it and we also reject any donations from the pharmaceutical industry.
Our members
The success of all of us for a smoke-free society depends on the identification of our members with the goals of our association. This requires everyone’s commitment and solidarity in our campaigns and activities.
The attitude of the initiators of Pro Rauchfrei to do everything possible to promote and achieve a smoke-free environment in their living environment by providing expert information and by encouraging and supporting every member. By delegating tasks, competencies and responsibilities, each member should be given as much freedom as possible to implement their ideas and activities for a smoke-free living environment. Respect for each member as an independent personality is a basic principle of Pro Smokefree. This freedom only finds its limits where the common good of all or the interests of Pro Smokefree as a whole are affected, true to our principle: The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Honorary members
Mr. Eckehard Küther (†2006)
Appreciation: With this gesture, we would like to honor the memory of a man who, in many different ways and despite a serious illness, was always selflessly committed to the well-being of others. As a teacher, the protection of children from passive smoking was particularly close to his heart.
He was neither a member of Pro Rauchfrei nor did we know him personally. And yet he observed the non-smoking organizations and their work very closely. It must have made a great impression on him to see the program and initiatives with which Pro Rauchfrei has set new standards in non-smoker protection.
We regard it as a special vote of confidence that he has appointed Pro Rauchfrei as one of his heirs. However, this is also a challenge for us to pursue our line in the fight for the interests of passive smokers even more intensively.
We will keep Eckehard Küther in honorable memory.
Mr. Dieter Mennekes (†2020)
In memory of a loving person and friend and in great gratitude for his generous support, the Pro Rauchfrei e.V. association posthumously awards honorary membership to Mr. Dieter Mennekes.
The entrepreneur and environmental activist Dieter Mennekes always supported Pro Rauchfrei mentally and above all financially very generously.
He made a decisive contribution to our association being able to initiate projects that could never have been realized through normal contributions and donations alone. The entrepreneur and environmental activist has achieved a great deal and left his mark, which his foundation will hopefully be able to continue.
We will honor his memory with a fitting tribute.
What we aim at
Pro Rauchfrei e.V. is Germany’s largest and most modern non-smoking association. We see ourselves as consumer advocates for non-smokers and smokers who want to quit in equal measure and are committed to ensuring that everyone in Germany can live free and undisturbed by tobacco smoke. As a lobby for liberal non-smokers, we do not ban smoking per se. But we do insist on the basic right to “smoke-free air”. Our main concerns are completely smoke-free restaurants, living without the nuisance of neighbors’ smoke and the protection of children and young people in all situations. We offer help for all consumers and comprehensive advice for members on all issues relating to the protection of non-smokers. We give smokers who want to quit tips on how to quit effectively and easily.