Conservative MEP Reply

[AnnaLaw]

I've written to all my MEPs and my MP, still waiting for replies from most, but had two so far, plus a UKIP tweet saying that they were against all EU regs.
Lib-Dem was ignorant.
But this was received from my Conservative MEP today, and he asks for the vaping forums to help by becoming activists.
His reply could have almost been written by ECCA!

Thank you contacting me with your concerns with the EU Tobacco Directive. I sympathise with your point that vaporises have helped you to substantially cut down on smoking, indeed, a number of my constituents have attested to their effectiveness

Please find below the response of the Martin Callanan, Conservative Spokesman for matters relating to the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety:

"You are not alone in contacting me on this issue - many constituents feel similarly strongly. I have examined the arguments and I see the potential e-cigarettes offer as harm-reduction devices to improve human health. I am particularly convinced by the fact that e-cigarettes offer concentrated nicotine to addicts without the 4000 toxins and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, that use of e-cigarettes removes the risk posed to non-smokers (and especially to children of smokers) by second hand smoke, that e-cigarettes appeal to adult smokers seeking to quit but not generally to children or those not yet addicted to nicotine, that traditional nicotine replacement therapies proposed by the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry have had very limited success in helping smokers quit permanently, and that thousands of British e-cigarette users (and millions across the EU and the world) are likely return to smoking if the directive is amended as foreseen and nicotine concentrations are limited to 4mg/ml. I have no doubt that this will lead to a large percentage of such users dying of smoking-related diseases they might otherwise have avoided, with all the personal and societal consequences this would mean. Such arguments have led me to conclude that the proposed changes to limit permitted concentrations of nicotine solution sold in the EU are counter-productive and will do much more harm than good.

Changes to EU tobacco legislation have been expected for some time but were delayed by the recent resignation of the previous European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, John Dalli. His replacement, Tonio Borg, has expressed a desire to change the law before his mandate expires in June 2014. To prevent the proposed changes concerning e-cigarettes and all the negative consequences that would arise, we must work hard in the year ahead to build solid majorities in both the Parliament and the Council.

As a member of the Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I will do everything in my power to make the arguments and convince other MEPs of the foolishness of diluting nicotine solution to the point of uselessness.

I would also encourage you to raise awareness among others in the vapourizing community. The internet offers considerable opportunities to draw the attention of a wide audience to the issue and to contact your elected representatives quickly and easily. If you have not already done so I would encourage you to write to your MP and request him to raise the matter in Westminster, and persuade other e-cigarette users to do the same. If we bring to the attention of the public, the political world and the media the strong arguments in favour of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction device and the number of lives which can be saved through their use, we have a very strong chance of winning the argument."

I hope you find this response useful, if you have any queries or concerns on any other matter please do not hesitate to get in touch, I shall be happy to help.

[Karma]

Never ever thought I'd be agreeing with the Conservative Party!

[beautycat]

Fantastic answer,

[dognero]

Great

[Deleted]

A politician with sense, at last.

[Sandra (aka Chillax)]

that is fantastic news and a great response. He needs to be on VTTV.

[captainpugwash]

I had this reply from my MEP, took a week but she's going be voting no
Dear Luke
Thank you for your recent email concerning possible proposals to introduce MORE EU regulations on tobacco/smoking alternative related products. We would oppose this in the EU Parliament, thus Nikki will be vote against any proposed directive or amendment that would legislate goods such as these sold in the UK .
These proposals if passed would only add to the growing already very BIG list of reasons why we'd be better off out the EU!!
The smoking community needs EU intervention like a fish needs a bicycle – If changes need to be made, those changes should be taken by our democratically elected politicians in Westminster, not by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.
Yours sincerely,

Josh O'Nyons
Office of Nikki Sinclaire MEP - We DEMAND A REFERENDUM MEP for the West Midlands Region

[Deleted]

I think we need to forget our own personal politics and welcome any MP or MEP that is prepared to stand in our corner , I find it refreshing that we are getting positive responses generally across all parties , I do however have my doubts about the labour party who seem to be C&P a response from their chief whip , and although we have seen a similar response as this one i.e. C&P at least this is positive and not a party sitting on the fence

[vapingben]

Hi Anna.

Could we use the response from your MEP on our Facebook-page?
The page is
www.facebook.com/pages/E-Rauchen-Wahrheiten/287019791334273

THX and greets from germany and vape on :-)

[Karma]

H i Ben, #welcome2#

there may be other stuff of interest to you here

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=promoting

[AnnaLaw]

Jan 14, 2013 19:56:57 GMT vapingben said:

Hi Anna.

Could we use the response from your MEP on our Facebook-page?
The page is
www.facebook.com/pages/E-Rauchen-Wahrheiten/287019791334273

THX and greets from germany and vape on :-)

As far as I'm concerned you can.
This is the second response I've had and the other one was completly anyi-vaping, or rather a lack of understanding of it, but her office did say I'd get a detailed reply later and she sent many letters because of people writing to her.

But this is a very good response especially as it is from the UK Conservative on the committee that will discuss it.

Anna

[vapingben]

Thanks, Karma an Anna

[AnnaLaw]

Jan 14, 2013 19:06:46 GMT Karma said:

Never ever thought I'd be agreeing with the Conservative Party!

Me neither!

[AnnaLaw]

Jan 14, 2013 19:11:55 GMT Sandra (aka Chillax) said:

that is fantastic news and a great response. He needs to be on VTTV.

The response was my MEP repeating the stance taken by Martin Callanan, so he's the one who should be on VTTV.

I don't know if he'd accept as he is on the EU Parliament Public Health Committee so is probably in Brussels. But there is always Skype.

[Deleted]

New labour = tory
Tory = tory
Lib dem = tory
UKIP = UKIP

what other options are there

Edit to add I have no political preference at this moment in time ..