MEP RESPONSE

[ripple27]

This came via email to me just now from my mep Ashley Fox.

Thank you for your email regarding the Tobacco Directive. I do appreciate the concerns that you have raised, and may I commend your efforts in stopping smoking.

I am aware that the European Commission would like to extend the scope of the Tobacco Directive to new products such as electronic cigarettes, but this does not appear to entail a complete ban. According to their proposal, nicotine containing products below a certain nicotine threshold would be permitted on the market providing they had health warnings, but products above this threshold must be authorised as medicinal products before they can be placed on the market.

The European Commission’s proposal will now go to the European Parliament and Council of Ministers for scrutiny and amendment. As this legislative proposal is very much at its earliest stages, there is not yet a report before the European Parliament for me to give my position on nor for amendments to be tabled. It should be going through the Environment Committee at some stage this year and is expected to be adopted in 2014 for implementation in EU Member States in 2015/2016.

It is not yet clear which of my Conservative colleagues will be leading on this piece of legislation for our delegation in the Environment Committee, but I can assure you that we will seek the right balance between public health and a consumer’s freedom of choice.

[hifistud]

I would write back and point out that the threshold is so low, at 4mg/ml, that it renders an e-cig as good as useless for anyone considering their use, and that he might like to confer with Martin Callanan MEP on how to proceed.

[ripple27]

~Already done but missed the bit about martin as forgot that !! l have asked for a response about the level so if he emails back this century l will put it in also l have asked him to visit this site to see just how many of us there actually is on here alone and now it seems to becoming public i am going to try and sort a interview out on radio about it admittedly its a community radio but anything is better than nothing to spread the word and the presenter is listened to from around the world curtosey of the internet so fingers crossed

[gillas]

"COP OUT" response

Got an email response back from Stephen S Hughes MEP (Labour) not impressed with his letter at all - it was a "cop out" letter

Many thanks for writing to me about the important issue of the EU
Tobacco Products Directive, and how it will affect electronic
cigarettes.

Because e-cigarettes are a relatively new product they are regulated
differently in each EU country. Some countries allow e-cigarettes to be
sold without any regulation at all. Others have banned the sale of
e-cigarettes. As the UK is part of the EU's internal market it is
important that we harmonise the way we deal with this product, otherwise
consumers could be buying unregulated products which do not conform to
basic safety standards, either within their own country, or by easily
purchasing it over the internet from a neighbouring country.

The European Commission has proposed that all 'nicotine containing
products' with more than 2mg per unit should not be classed as tobacco
products. Instead, under the Commission's proposals, nearly all
e-cigarettes will need to get authorisation as a pharmaceutical product,
in the same way as nicotine patches, sprays and gums.

Of course there is a balance to strike. On one hand e-cigarettes have
the potential to be a helpful way to help somebody quit smoking entirely
and greatly improve their health. On the other hand e-cigarettes
currently can contain up to 48mg of nicotine - far more than a regular
cigarette, making them highly addictive. As nicotine is the drug that
makes cigarettes addictive, somebody that tries e-cigarettes could be
much more likely to go on to smoke regular cigarettes. Furthermore,
there is no evidence that e-cigarettes are safe, and it is concerning
that they are being marketed as a 'healthy' alternative to smoking.
Currently we do not have any conclusive evidence either that
e-cigarettes are helpful for giving up smoking, or that they encourage
it.

While we do not have this scientific evidence to rely on I think it is
wise to have a cautious approach to e-cigarettes. If they are
effective in helping people to stop smoking, then it is appropriate that
they are regulated in the same way as other smoking cessation tools,
such as nicotine patches.

The Commission proposal is not final and there will be many months of
negotiations by the European Parliament, as well as health ministers
from the UK and other EU countries, before the legislation is agreed.
During this time Labour MEPs will be looking carefully at all of the
measures and trying to find the best way to ensure that we effectively
reduce smoking rates in the UK and across Europe.

Thanks again for writing to me on this important issue.

Best wishes

Stephen S Hughes MEP
North East European Constituency Office
Room 4/38
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UR

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Hope he's not counting on my vote in the next elections >

[Karma]

Yep, same response exactly that I got from my MEP

allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=promoting&action=display&thread=16568&page=1

some original responses would be a breath of fresh air! And, to think we've been advised when writting to personalise our letters!

[dognero]

Jan 15, 2013 21:00:56 GMT gillas said:

"COP OUT" response

Got an email response back from Stephen S Hughes MEP (Labour) not impressed with his letter at all - it was a "cop out" letter

Many thanks for writing to me about the important issue of the EU
Tobacco Products Directive, and how it will affect electronic
cigarettes.

Because e-cigarettes are a relatively new product they are regulated
differently in each EU country. Some countries allow e-cigarettes to be
sold without any regulation at all. Others have banned the sale of
e-cigarettes. As the UK is part of the EU's internal market it is
important that we harmonise the way we deal with this product, otherwise
consumers could be buying unregulated products which do not conform to
basic safety standards, either within their own country, or by easily
purchasing it over the internet from a neighbouring country.

The European Commission has proposed that all 'nicotine containing
products' with more than 2mg per unit should not be classed as tobacco
products. Instead, under the Commission's proposals, nearly all
e-cigarettes will need to get authorisation as a pharmaceutical product,
in the same way as nicotine patches, sprays and gums.

Of course there is a balance to strike. On one hand e-cigarettes have
the potential to be a helpful way to help somebody quit smoking entirely
and greatly improve their health. On the other hand e-cigarettes
currently can contain up to 48mg of nicotine - far more than a regular
cigarette, making them highly addictive. As nicotine is the drug that
makes cigarettes addictive, somebody that tries e-cigarettes could be
much more likely to go on to smoke regular cigarettes. Furthermore,
there is no evidence that e-cigarettes are safe, and it is concerning
that they are being marketed as a 'healthy' alternative to smoking.
Currently we do not have any conclusive evidence either that
e-cigarettes are helpful for giving up smoking, or that they encourage
it.

While we do not have this scientific evidence to rely on I think it is
wise to have a cautious approach to e-cigarettes. If they are
effective in helping people to stop smoking, then it is appropriate that
they are regulated in the same way as other smoking cessation tools,
such as nicotine patches.

The Commission proposal is not final and there will be many months of
negotiations by the European Parliament, as well as health ministers
from the UK and other EU countries, before the legislation is agreed.
During this time Labour MEPs will be looking carefully at all of the
measures and trying to find the best way to ensure that we effectively
reduce smoking rates in the UK and across Europe.

Thanks again for writing to me on this important issue.

Best wishes

Stephen S Hughes MEP
North East European Constituency Office
Room 4/38
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UR

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Hope he's not counting on my vote in the next elections >

I got the same reply today

[Karma]

Blummin lazy **ckers!

if we'd all sent the same letter we'd have been ignored!

[djs]

I'm getting frustrated with/of the 48mg business.

Just underlines the lack of understanding. 20 fags (smoked hastily) = at least 20mg.
1 ml of 48mg juice vaped over a day probably equates to 20mg (useable nicotine).

The "yield" on a fag can be almost double the printed numbers on the box, as fags are tested by machine.


and then, THIS!

Currently we do not have any conclusive evidence either that
e-cigarettes are helpful for giving up smoking, or that they encourage
it.

That is just silly. E-cigs encourage smoking......?

[lazydog]

At least you folks have had a reply I have emailed twice now both James Morris mp and
Anthea McIntyre mep and except the normal acknowledgement letter ziltch even my request for an appointment has been ignored.I need to make time to phone them as its getting past a joke.
Perhaps a Jeremy Vine phone in might work I even emailed them and put the point accross,see where that leads. >

[Deleted]

errr that would't be another response from C&P labour would it .. cough cough

[Karma]

Hey, Lazydog, I e-mailed all 6 MEPs for Scotland, my MSP and MP and only had that 1 reply >

I think they've all forgotten that their job is to represent their constituents

[Banky]

I got the same letter as did karma I said it before the Labour Party are all singing from the same hymn sheet,
they cant be bothered to reply to us in a personal manner,
If we where to send the same copy then we would be totally ignored.

[lazydog]

Jan 15, 2013 21:36:13 GMT Karma said:

Hey, Lazydog, I e-mailed all 6 MEPs for Scotland, my MSP and MP and only had that 1 reply >

I think they've all forgotten that their job is to represent their constituents

I am thinking next year as their employer of cutting holidays if they cant keep up with work load

[gillas]

If i had my way i would be cutting more than their holidays !!!!!

Lazy B******s



They can't even take the time to look in to the subject for themselves, just copy and paste another response taken from someone who ALSO didn't take the time to read up on the subject

SEETHING

[Ratfinkz]

I'd be so tempted to write back saying something along the lines of

"Thank you for your response. Several of my friends around the country have also been lucky enough to receive the exact same response. We think...." and then your feedback on the e mail and end with "...I look forward to receiving a further response to this. I'd appreciate gift if you could show me you have read this e mail by writing your own reply, not just sending a generic one"