The EC ignores voting MP’s and have E Cigs in their sites again

We all know that the European Commission have been trying to ban electronic cigarettes through regulation in the form of a Tobacco Products Directive update and we all know that they failed miserably. The updated TPD was put to vote around a month and a half ago but was deemed ridiculous by the European Parliament and put to bed. Now it seems the European Commission have thrown their dummy out of the cot and are aiming for even tighter regulations

This news comes from a leaked document which was sent out only to those who were negotiating directly on the future regulation of e cigarettes but was intercepted and published on the nicotine science and policy website. The new proposal basically goes against everything that the voters in European Parliament suggested in their amendment. Here is a basic grasp of what is written…

  • Parliament suggested that the maximum nicotine content within E Liquid should be capped at 30mg/ml yet the Commission have proposed to lower the cap to 20mg/ml. This will not help the heavier smokers who need a higher dosage of nicotine.
  • Parliament suggested that different flavours should be allowed on the market as there is no danger. The Commission have proposed to ban all flavours that aren’t currently used in nicotine replacement therapy products, limiting the appeal to smokers (again associating E Cigs with quit smoking devices. They just don’t listen!).
  • Parliament suggest that there be no restrictions on refill E liquids as there have never been any major health issues over their use. The Commission will ban all refill E Liquids if they get their way. If this happens, users will be forced to pay prices similar, if not more, than a packet of cigarettes, severely limiting the appeal to smokers.
  • Parliament suggest that there be no restrictions on devices yet the Commission will ban all refillable atomizers. Only disposable cartomizers and cartridges will be allowed.
  • Parliament doesn’t have any problem with Electronic Cigarette users buying their products from different countries but the Commission will ban all cross border sales.
  • Advertising by any means will be completely banned. This includes internet forums, which will be shut down, review sites, banner ads, TV commercials, Radio, news papers, magazines, any type of advertising you can think of, it will be banned. This is good for the tobacco industry as they already have established distribution channels and can get their product out there just as fast as they can normal cigarettes.

These proposals will play right into the hands of vendors like SKYCIG, Intellicig and of which are owned by Big Tobacco funnily enough. If there was ever any doubt as to whether the tobacco industry was playing a part in electronic cigarette regulations, either directly or indirectly through lobbyists, then this has surely proven it. How strange that Lorillard Tobacco, one of the Big Tobacco companies, should choose to buy SKYCIG, a UK Electronic Cigarette vendor who only sell cartridges and limited flavours, right at a time when the future and European regulation of e cigarettes is so uncertain. In fact, all the tobacco companies who bought into the e cig industry have steered clear of refillable E Liquid models.

When Big Tobacco released their own electronic cigarette model, called VYPE, it was looked upon as an instant failure as one single cartridge would cost about the same as a pack of normal cigarettes and would have less of an effect. It was obvious that Big Tobacco saw no profit in refillable E Liquid and they were trying to keep their revenue flowing with a ridiculously expensive model. Then this paper gets leaked and now the puzzle is a lot clearer.

Make no mistake, Big Tobacco will not go down without a fight. They know that if refillable E Liquid isn’t banned they are doomed. We must fight back against the tobacco companies who have spent years killing it’s customers and reaping rewards and now want to corner the biggest threat to their empire they have ever seen.

You can view the leaked document here

For information on what you can do to help, see

Eu wanting to eliminate current electronic cigarettes

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EU Wanting To Eliminate Current Electronic Cigarettes Author Olivia &bull Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

According to the new proposed European Union legislation, every electronic cigarette product that is now available in Britain will be removed from the shelves and banned. In a confidential compromise document draft by the European Commission, it was believed that it seeks to knock over a vote by the MEPs to reject the prohibition of the current form of electronic cigarettes.

According to the draft, officials in Brussels are worried of the dangers in the possibility of ecigs being used as gateway to real smoking. Thus, they would like to include these smoke free alternatives under the new Tobacco Products Directive although there is no tobacco in them.

Enraging Ecig Suppliers

No entrepreneur would be happy if the business is being threatened by unreasonable legislation. Thus, this bid to outlaw ecigarettes really annoyed suppliers from Britain where there are about 1.3 million out of the 10 million smokers who have switched and are now using electronic cigarettes.

Totally Wicked is an ecig supplier located in Lancashire. Its Chief Executive Officer Fraser Cooper accused the officials of the European Union to introduce this prohibition by the back door, non cooperating with the European Parliament.

He said that the unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats are drafting proposals that will deny millions of smokers (former and current) of the safer tobacco cigarette alternatives behind closed doors.

A Ban In Town

The proposal came at the same times as a northern France town held the position to be the first to enforce an ecig ban in all its public buildings.

The town was Saint Lo in La Manche in the Normandy region. Mayor Fran ois Digard passed the decree last month of November that essentially outlaws electronic cigarettes. This was after several incidents of complaints from the town residents.

In the country of France, there are about 1.5 million users of the smoke free alternatives. Country officials are said to be still considering a similar ban, but the town mayor obviously made a move in advance because bad tempered non smokers are intensely complaining about ecig users and their billowing clouds of vapor even inside public libraries.

Mayor Digard said that ecigs are not accepted neutrally in the immediate surroundings. The devices emit a bit of smoke and odor that bothers other people, he said.

Banned By Some Establishments

Also in Britain, JD Wetherspoon, a chain of pubs and other train operators have already enforced their ecig bans.

With cigarette smoking highly opposed and intensely stigmatized ecig sales have raised significantly. Like real cigarettes, ecigs also deliver nicotine, but the process involved in the operation of these devices differs from real cigarettes.

Dangerous Smoking Simulation

Ecigs do not produce smoke from combustion, but vapors from vaporization. Thus, there are no tar, toxins and other inconveniences. Considered healthier compared to tobacco by its proponents but heavily antagonized by some health officials.

Last week in Netherlands, the public health institute there has published a policy paper wherein it was claimed that ecigarettes cause the same harm as ordinary cigarettes. They are likewise addictive and have some poisonous substances, the paper said.

In Britain and throughout EU, ecigarettes are not bound by the laws on tobacco since they contain no tobacco.

Officials reportedly, were worried since ecig use closely mimics the act of smoking. They are likewise believed to be heavily marketed to the youth.

In accordance to the proposal, if approved it would ban by 2017 all ecigarettes producing nicotine levels that are more than 20 mg/ml. Supplier claim that all current products would mostly be eliminated if ever.

Flavors that are used in nicotine replacement therapies and all other flavors that attract the youth shall be wiped out, the paper stated. If this ban is approved by 2017, about 5 million ecig users will be deprived of their alternatives and possibly just go back to smoking tobacco.

According to Conservative MEP Martin Callanan, it will be crazy to force ecigs off the shelves. These ecigs serves as valuable support for smokers in desperation to quit they potentially could reduce the number of unnecessary deaths.

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