is this ok?

[Ratfinkz]

This is the message I plan to send my meps/mps, was hoping someone could have quick read and tell me if it's ok before I send



Dear ...,

I am a member of your constituency. I am a 30 year old female. I also happen to be an e- cig user.

I am writing to you regarding the EU proposal to ban electric cigarettes and e-liquid over 4mg from general sale, unless it is sold as a medicinal product.

I write this letter firstly from a personal point of view but also with a thought to all present and future vapers. As using an electronic cigarette does not involve setting fire to anything and inhaling the subsequent smoke we are not `smokers`.

Let me first tell you a bit about myself. I started smoking aged 21. At the time I was severely depressed and self harming. Smoking helped control the self harm urges and whilst I did not immediately stop harming, I was able over the following years to stop this habit. I still suffer from depression but now the only marks on my arms are scars from a habit that used to consume every day. If I was not actively harming I would be thinking about it. Smoking gave me something else to use when I was stressed, upset or would otherwise turn to the razor blade.

The trouble was, I am also asthmatic. For 9 years now whenever I caught a cold, you can guarantee it would go straight to my chest. I had countless trips to a and e to be nebulized, have had paramedics visit 2-3 Times a year when I was in too poor a state to even make it to a and e. 2 or 3 Times EVERY year I'd actually be hospitalised, normally for around 5 days at a time.

I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I could either keep smoking and ending up in hospital, or I could stop and struggle with my depression. Either way was a bleak future and both were risking an early death. I felt trapped with nowhere to turn.

Despite this I had had attempts at giving up in the past. always returning to cigarettes when the depression worsened and the urges got too much for me.

Then in April last year I heard about electronic cigarettes I was not convinced they would work. I ordered one online, and can 100% honestly say from the day I first used it back in April 2012 until today I have never smoked another proper cigarette. Of course I sometimes got the need for one, but a few minutes of vaping soon helped them abate.

Since switching to vaping my chest has been immeasurably better, I have had a nasty cold, which was just that, there was no chest infection afterwards, no asthma attacks during, no need to visit my GP let alone the hospital.

Like most vapers I started on what is known as a 'lookalike' a small round tube with an orange led at the end. However within a few months I had started on an advanced version, and what I vape now looks as unlike a cigarette as for instance eating a lollipop would. If you would like to see the advanced options I would be happy to set up a meeting with you and bring some with me.

I am an active member of a vaping forum and can tell you that almost every member on there has given up smoking thanks to the substances that the EU wish to ban.

Although we are still inhaling nicotine, there are none of the other 4000+ ingredients that you find in a regular cigarette, and nicotine by itself is clinically proved to be ' almost harmless' putting it at a similar risk level to caffeine.

I recently watched a very good interview with Clive Bates, the former director of ASH, who himself is against the proposed regulations. If you wish to read his views on this matter please read www.CliveBates.com

The EU proposal would force many vapers, including myself, back to regular cigarettes, and I must admit this thought terrifies me. To me, and many others, it would be akin to handing out a death sentence. We all die sometime that is true, but my death would be premature and almost certainly painful and drawn out.

There are a lot of facts and figures I could quote regarding the harm reduction of vaping as oppose smoking, but I wanted to let you know exactly what vaping has meant to me, how it has literally changed my life.

I urge you therefore, on my behalf, to stand against this in discussions with the EU parliament. I look forward to a reply to this e- mail.



Yours sincerely,
Sarah Nash
Stowmarket.

[kibbster]

It's great and most importantly it's about you and from the heart not some cut and paste chain letter.

Thank you for sharing something with us that you must find quite personal.

[Ratfinkz]

thank you will go send it then.

yes it's personal and I'd only share it somewhere im comfortable but if sharing it helps even a tiny bit it's got to be worth it.

[Ratfinkz]

sent to all 7 MEPs individually. am sorry but have never written to MEPs / MPs before and not really knowledgeable about government, so if this is stupid q forgive me but what do I need to say differently to send to MP?

[hgvroy]

That is an excellent letter and an example to us all and there is no need to be knowledgeable about government, in fact it is an advantage not to be, it's a letter from a real person about a real situation

[Ratfinkz]

aww thank you x

[jeffc]

Hi Sarah. I take my hat off to you.
A terrific, moving letter, stating your history with e-cigs, in relationship with tobacco cigarettes.
We should all compile such a letter and e-mail our MP`s and MEP`s.
If all members of ALL forums sent in their mail, there would be 1000`s of names to back up our claims.
Well done you should be proud of yourself.
kindest regards.
jeffc.

[Ratfinkz]

aww thanks Jeff that means a lot. I agree everyone should do it. that old adage, "United we stand divided we fall," springs to mind.

[FirinBlanks]

Great letter Sarah, I definitely think adding a personal story help to get our points across in a human way. I did the same thing (although not quite so eloquently).

[Karma]

Unfortunately we don't seem to be getting individual replies back!

Whatever we write, we all could write something. I don't think our elected representatives have any idea how many of the population vape!

When replies come back, if it's not what you want to hear, then get back in touch with them!

These people are supposed to represent usI As vapers we care about this issue, non vapers have no idea and probably no strong feelings, so who are these people representing?

[esmecullen]

Its a great letter Sarah................ hope you get a favourable response.

[djs]

It's a brilliant heartfelt letter. Well done.

I think we just all keep going; I mean, some of us will get good replies, some patronising replies and some straight-up refusals to even contemplate what we are doing even exists.

I admire your frank testimony. Good for you.

[Ratfinkz]

thanks everyone, so much. Karma am fully prepared to need to write back to them, that will be a more fact filled reply instead of this personal one. even though they're not sending personal replies the more people who write and take up a few minutes of their time the more it'll sink into their consciousness.

as for who they're representing the cynic in me says they're representing big pharma as they can make a lot of money from them.

[Karma]

Indeed, even if people just write a couple of sentences saying that they disagree with the proposals.

If enough people get in touch surely they will at some point consider the votes they may loose?

[Ratfinkz]

agreed. high is doing a wonderful job of protesting, getting us all the relevant information, but he NEEDS help. if you care about vaping you need to stand up and be counted