WriteToThem

[kittyvape]

Hi 

I just used WriteToThem to contact local MEP: 




Can write to MP's also, or write and the site emails all relevant MP's/MEP's etc all at once.

Article referenced: Electronic Cigarettes in 2016

Will update about any responses.
 

[DiscoDes]

Apr 21, 2015 1:41:29 GMT kittyvape said:

Hi 

I just used WriteToThem to contact local MEP: 




Can write to MP's also, or write and the site emails all relevant MP's/MEP's etc all at once.

Article referenced: Electronic Cigarettes in 2016

Will update about any responses.
 

Hi kittyvape,

Firstly congratulations on taking action and for a very nicely worded letter.

For the benefit of others is it possible for you to post your letter as a document typed in rather than a picture so that others can C & P parts to send for themselves when they write to their respective MP's? I don't think we should copy it word for word as an effective letter should reflect everyone's own experiences.

[kittyvape]

Hi and thank you very much DiscoDes No problem at all:

"Twenty four days ago I stopped smoking, solely due to vaping. I now cannot stand the smell or taste of tobacco, and will never smoke again as long as I can vape. I have lost count of how many success stories I have read, of people, like myself, who smoked for many years, but have been able to stop smoking and are now enjoying health benefits, solely due to vaping (often after having previously tried every other possible way to stop smoking). The vaping community are made up of many very nice, and very responsible, people, and there are now millions of vapers across the world, with numbers growing very rapidly, and revenue of at last 6 billion and increasing.

As large tobacco companies clearly want to place a strangle hold on vaping, by regulating it as tobacco or medicinal, rather than a consumer product, the millions in the vaping community are naturally very concerned. The reason regulation is being sought is solely due to big tobacco companies experiencing lost revenue, and the attacks on vaping are full of holes ... eg if vaping is so dangerous, why don't the big tobacco companies ban cigarettes, which contain the 4000+ chemicals not found in e-cigarettes? Countless products are for sale in supermarkets that have childproof tops and can be a danger to children if parents are not careful, yet those products are not attacked by the big tobacco businesses. The fact that 1000's upon 1000's of people report increased health, equal to the detox effects of giving up smoking, tends to be dismissed by these big companies saying that e-cigarettes are not yet fully understood; yet studies have been done that back up exactly why e-cigarettes are such a healthy alternative to smoking. Many vapers find they lower their nicotine % within a year or two of starting to vape, with many reducing right down to zero nicotine and either continuing to vape to enjoy the various liquid flavours, or stopping vaping altogether.

This article makes horrific reading ... and is what prompted me to contact you. The health benefits of vaping save the NHS a massive amount of money, and, if big companies are allowed to have their way, solely from greed, I imagine a vaping black market would emerge, or many would return to smoking itself, with an increased health bill. Any negative changes regarding vaping would cause immense sadness, as vaping is clearly something very healthy and progressive, and much more person-centred rather than big-business centred. Many small businesses have emerged in the last few years, selling vaping equipment and liquids, and these small businesses could well be forced to close if negative regulations came in." 

Hoping many write and that many MP's/MEP's give their support to something that genuinely brings massive benefit to so many peoples' health.

[DiscoDes]

You've made it very easy, hopefully they will.

[kittyvape]

Apr 21, 2015 6:10:28 GMT DiscoDes said:

You've made it very easy, hopefully they will.

Great! thank you, and yes, fingers crossed. 

[clairea]

Can I just add that IMO you may need to rewrite letters to your MPs after the general and local elections in May, as your MP could change, so if you are writing now keep note of your MP and then write again if they change after 7th May
Just don't forget to bombard both new and old MPs

[sydsut]

I know what I would like to bombard them with, old or new MP

[DiscoDes]

Here is my version:

My Father died prematurely at 63 due to a smoking related illness and as a smoker at the time I decided that I did not want this to happen to me so I tried to quit. I tried on my own first by using gum and patches but was not successful. I joined a stop smoking group at my local GP’s Surgery without success. I was at my wits end. Then a friend suggested I tried (a very new at the time) E-cigarette. I did and I stopped smoking over night! That was over 5 and a half years ago, solely due to using a E-cigarette (Vaping).
I now cannot stand the smell or taste of tobacco and will never smoke again as long as I can vape. I have lost count of how many success stories I have read, of people, like myself, who smoked for many years but have been able to stop smoking and are now enjoying health benefits, solely due to vaping (often also after having previously tried every other possible way to stop smoking). The vaping community are made up of many very nice, and very responsible, people, and there are now millions of vapers across the world, with numbers growing very rapidly.

It seems however large tobacco companies are in a panic and clearly want to place a strangle hold on vaping, by negative lobbying and pushing ill thought out regulation too class vaping as a tobacco or medicinal, rather than a consumer product, millions of people in the vaping community are naturally very concerned. I believe a large part of the misinformation is solely due to big tobacco companies experiencing lost revenue and now they are making many unsubstantiated attacks on vaping that are full of untruths. The big tobacco Companies have the financial clout to push out these untruths to the public.
The fact is that 1000's upon 1000's of people report increased health, equal to the detox effects of giving up smoking, tends to be dismissed by these big companies saying that e-cigarettes are not yet fully understood; yet many studies have been done that back up exactly why e-cigarettes are such a healthier alternative to smoking.
Many vapers find they can lower their nicotine intake with many reducing right down to zero nicotine and either continuing to vape to enjoy the various liquid flavours, or stopping vaping altogether.

The potential is that the health benefits of vaping could save the NHS a massive amount of money, and, if the Big Tobacco companies are allowed to have their way, solely from greed, I imagine a totally unregulated vaping black market could emerge, or many would return to smoking itself, with an increased health bill. Any negative changes regarding vaping would cause me immense sadness, as vaping is clearly something much healthier. Many small businesses have emerged in the last few years, selling vaping equipment and liquids, and these small businesses which have nothing to do with the Big Tobacco companies could well be forced to close if negative regulations came in.
We need to look at “harm reduction”, vaping is clearly better that smoking and it needs a pragmatic view that some seem incapable of taking. The Tobacco Control Directive comes into effect in March 2016 (article 16 of the TPD) and I pray that whoever is in power can take a pragmatic view of vaping or adopts a “light touch” approach with the regulation of vaping and see the possible positive effect that vaping has over smoking. Otherwise many people will go back to smoking and the Big Tobacco companies will once again be in control.