ECCA - the time for talk is over, now it is time for action

[Matt Gluggles]

Reproduced from my blog - posted here (rather than the ECCA sub forum) as it is more Campaigning news about ECCA rather than a pure ECCA post





I have decided to get much more involved in ECCA, and I am encouraging as many other people as possible to do the same.



The public, especially smokers, are more curious than ever about electronic cigarettes. I believe that ECCA could be, and should be, one of the first points of call for a member of the public who is interested about electronic cigarettes and wants to find out some accurate information about the products that are available.

With the MHRA proposals due and the ongoing EU Tobacco Products Directive, it is a crucial time to have an active and outspoken consumer association for e-cig users. Events can rapidly change the situation and the media is rife with speculation and poor information about e-cigs. ECCA should be one of the first points of call for a journalist researching a story about e-cigarettes.

I propose a change of direction, and a call for action.

The existing ECCA committee are a fantastic group of committed individuals and I would like to work alongside them - but I believe that a change of direction is needed in order to develop and expand the group so that is represents as many e-cig users as possible.

A Call To Action - My proposals.

- ECCA will seek to represent the largest possible cross section of e-cigarette users, this means we actively include users of all brands, including users of disposables and mass-market brands, and include dual users as well.

- ECCA will actively demand representation in the political process, in so far as it affects users of e-cigarettes - providing representatives to take part in and give evidence to Government departments and political committees and sub-committees as well as take an active role in any consultation process.

- ECCA will examine and, if necessary, challenge claims made by e-cigarette companies. For example the cigarette equivalence claims made for cartomisers (is a cart really equal to 40 cigs, for example? the smoking public should have accurate info) - we will examine all claims from different brands to ensure accurate information and a fair deal for the customer.

- Launch an Annual "Swaptober" event. Every year during the month of October, have an intensive marketing campaign that promotes the benefits of e-cigarettes for smokers and encourage smokers to swap to e-cigarettes.

- Change the structure of ECCA to allow for a leadership role to take quick decisions - but at the same time introduce fortnightly Skype meetings of committee members, to discuss policy issues.

- Monthly online public meetings, either via online Chat or Skype - to allow input from members regardless of geographical location within the UK - to allow for maximum participation and representation.

- Re-vamp the ECCA website and seek out people with internet expertise to use Search Engine Optimisation to bring the ECCA site to the top of UK web searches for electronic cigarettes to maximise exposure to new users.

- Abolish the ECCA forum on the website and replace with active participation on the already existing and much more popular Vaping and E-Cig forums.

I want ECCA to have an active voice and wield the clout to represent the e-cigarette consumer voice.

Now is the time to take it to the next level.

[gibla53]

Jeez ....... it's on the 5th page of google behind English Cross County Association , Euro Climate change etc. Totally agree that a far more concerted effort is required . As a relative noob to this I have joined this forum ,UK Vapers and there are some incredibly knowledgeable individuals on both forums but there does not appear to be a single concerted effort . Fragmented divided responses are very easily ignored by the authorities , it needs something,someone,somebody to galvanise the whole vaping community .

Alan ......... apologies if such a body exists ...... if it does it's in cloaking mode

[kibbster]

I agree gluggler,
I did hear on VTTV that ECCA were saying they wanted us to tell them what to do and we do need a unifying voice that can represent us and speak for us.
ECITA are doing fantastic work and tbh they are doing what ECCA should be doing because ECITA are a trade association they can't open all doors and won't always be trusted by all sides as they have a financial interest.

The trouble is unlike ECITA who post on the forums regularly to let people know they are kicking ass and taking names which boosts morale and helps rally the troops but I don't see much evidence of ECCA, they seem pretty quiet.

I also agree ECCA need someone one who can get their Google rankings up being 4th on the list when you Google their actual name isn't ideal.

[blackdog]

gluggler have you approached ECCA with offer of your help?

ECCA is very small, in fact really only a couple of guys one of which has been very ill
they have produced great documents along with a more realistic comparison of look-a-likes vs cigarette equivalent

they have online meetings which i have attended quite a few, however uptake was very low with only half a dozen other vapers there

i agree we do need an organisation like ECCA to do more but more importantly we need more people to actively help them

[MarkS]

I never knew they had online meetings, although I've only been vaping 4 weeks today. I would love to offer to help over this last month as I've been stuck at home most of the time going crazy with boredom. The vaping community has been a godsend for me, it really has. Being a complete novice though I did not think I had much to offer.

Also and I know this may sound silly considering what is at stake, but it's at 9pm the same time as a popular internet tv show goes out. People are fickle, but I would imagine if it was at 10pm or the 8pm then VTTV could promote it and make sure people turned up. Many who watch that show are the kind they should be getting more involved as I believe they show a real passion for vaping.

Now I know they have meetings I will do my best to be present at the next one and decide if I can help in anyway from there.

[kibbster]

Mar 15, 2013 7:56:00 GMT MarkS said:

I never knew they had online meetings, although I've only been vaping 4 weeks today. I would love to offer to help over this last month as I've been stuck at home most of the time going crazy with boredom. The vaping community has been a godsend for me, it really has. Being a complete novice though I did not think I had much to offer.

Also and I know this may sound silly considering what is at stake, but it's at 9pm the same time as a popular internet tv show goes out. People are fickle, but I would imagine if it was at 10pm or the 8pm then VTTV could promote it and make sure people turned up. Many who watch that show are the kind they should be getting more involved as I believe they show a real passion for vaping.

Now I know they have meetings I will do my best to be present at the next one and decide if I can help in anyway from there.

Very true!
Without promotion how do we know about these things?
And I agree with Mark that 9pm is a bad time to try and get vapers to join a meeting.
Use VTTV as a promotional tool as well I'm sure they'd be more than happy to be involved and as there are 100 people in chat every night and I assume many more who watch it on youtube, video on demand or podcasts they are the people ECCA want to talk to.

I'd be more than happy to join an online meeting and get more involved unfortunately South Gloucestershire council haven't seen fit to give me a decent ADSL exchange so the most I can connect and stream at is .3mb which means I can't stream live video
Digital Britain my arse!
Anyway that's another story hehe

So surface to say I would need a podcast.

 

[AnnaLaw]

I am an ECCA member and am willing to help with creating a website containing studies and research (although I'd hope I wouldn't have to do all the study and research to find the studies and research. I'm no web expert but do have some experience although getting a site to the top of the ranking does have some connection with the number visiting it (optimisation helps).
I took part in the test for the AGM, which is on April 14th at 10 pm (ECCA people like VTTV as well) and I think there were only five or six people.
I have been a volunteer for an internet-based organisation since 2001 and learnt that the hardest part is to get people to give up some time for the cause. In an organisation with over 100,000 members no more then 10 actually do anything!
We need ECCA, but with so few people trying to do everything it will never be important.
We need ECCA now more than ever. We need people who can communicate in a way that will be listened to, like the vaping doctor in the lords committee.
ECCA needs to be the official body representing all vapers, dual-users and future vapers. A trade organisation is often distrusted because it represents the industry. ECCA should be representing the consumers, including those who just use cigalikes where smoking is banned. As the saying goes, 'out of little acorns mighty oak trees grow'.
ECCA could become the oak tree that cracks through the ignorance, the fanaticism, the commercial self-interest and the holier than thou stance of those who insist that vaping is a form of NRT to quit nicotine, ignore the truth, and would happily condemn well over 7 million vapers in Europe (we have no idea of the actual number in the UK or Europe as it's grown so quickly) to burning tobacco because 'we don't know what's in e-cigs' and 'nicotine is dangerous' amongst many other false excuses.
So come on people. If you want the right to vape get off your backsides and help ECCA.
Let's give ECCA teeth!