Contacted my MEP

[kailey]

I'm not sure where to put this so if this is the wrong place please feel free to move it. However, being an ex-smoker who was smoking 2 packs per day before trying e-cigs and having not smoked a single whole cigarette since that day I felt it necessary to express my worries about the current MHRA proposals to an MEP via email.

I received the following reply:

Thank you for your e-mail.

I have drawn your concerns to the attention of Martin Callanan MEP, ECR shadow rapporteur on this file. Martin remains in close contact with the vaping community, both on an individual level and through community and trade associations, and understands vapers' concerns.



He informs me that he sees the great public health benefit to be gained from e-cigarettes, and shares the British Medical Association's opinion that while e-cigarettes (like any novel product) may present some concerns until more data on their use is available, they are nevertheless likely to be a much lower risk option than continuing to smoke. For this reason he is pushing to make e-cigarettes at least as easily available as tobacco cigarettes to encourage as many smokers as possible to make the switch.



Yours sincerely,



Marina Yannakoudakis, Conservative MEP for London

I am now feeling more optimistic that the government will not force me back to the tobacco alternative.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is working hard to make sure the right thing is done for vapers including those MPs/MEPs who are acting on our behalf.

Edited to clarify: I also wrote to several other MEPs but this was the only one to reply to date.

[matt1988]

Yeh that is the standard response for Conservative MEPs I got a similar reply. Callanan is doing a good job. Doesnt mean that particular MEP will vote for or against e-cig regulation.

[kailey]

Yeah, matt1988, I was wondering if it was a standard reply but at least she replied which gave me some hope that my voice was being heard. Not sure what else to do. ???

[matt1988]

Try asking her what her position is on e-cigs. She may ignore it, or she may not know. And then you can give her small snippets (not too much as they don't like reading lol).

[kailey]

Thanks, Matt. I haven't responded yet but I will try what you suggest.

[johnd2000]

I mailed my MEP, Mary Honeyball, setting out my smoking to Vaping experience and asking what her position was on the TPD.

3 weeks later, I got a reply from her office. It told me what ecigs are (inaccurately) and what the EU process is (also inaccurately). In the mail, they got my name wrong and linked to a blog post about racism in the tobacco industry.

I wrote back complaining that my question hadn't been answered. Another 4 weeks later I got a new summary of the EU process (out of date) and reference to the MHRA announcement. Still no statement on what Ms Honeyball actually thinks.

I've told her I won't be voting for her again, publicly via Twitter.

I see today she tweeted about meeting with our Linda and Auntie Glenys to discuss health policies. I'd like to think she was at least pointing out how miffed some of her constituents are, but somehow I doubt it.