penfold187
Member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 5
Got a reply from my MP Julian Smith (Skipton & Ripon). Here it is.
Dear Mr ,
Thank you for contacting me about the regulation of e-cigarettes. I was pleased to hear about your success in cutting down smoking. (I had mentioned thanks to vaping I hadn't smoked and reduced my nicotine to the 3mg variety)
The Government recognises that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmfull to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and continue to protect children from the effects of nicotine. (I had pointed out the lack of evidence that vaping acted as a gateway to smoking and that most vaping providers actively enforced restrictions on sales to under 18's prior to any requirement to do so.)
Ministers have confirmed that there are no plans to mandate European Union rules on taxing e-ciggarettes and no proposals have been submitted. As the EU Commission clarified last week, all that has happened is the Commission has been asked to analyse the issue of e-cigarettes further as wider part of the Tobacco Duties Directive. Any proposal would need the unanimous support of all 28 EU governments to be approved.
I hope you find this information helpful and thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours Sincerely,
Julian Smith.
Unsure why he brought up Tobacco Duties Directive, or taxation as I had explicitly written regard the TPD and it's draconian effects upon the vaping community.
My response email...
Dear Julian Smith,
I responding to your prompt and welcome response to my email regarding the TPD, you responded referring to the TDD and taxation of vaping products (This may well be my fault, I may have referenced the TDD in error, if so apologies). Taxation is an issue I am not currently overtly concerned about, given the dangerous consequences stemming from the TPD. Legislation that seems designed to hinder vaping companies, not affiliated with the tobacco industry (and that has effectively killed the vaping industry in some countries). The TPD regulations place an onerous burden upon vaping companies with costs running into the ten's of thousands for EACH variant of e-liquid. So if they produce an e-liquid at multiple strengths, as most do, they have to have each strength of e-liquid tested, as well as each 'flavour' variant! Now I am not against a robust and diligent set of regulations, because there have been issues with e-liquids and diacetyl for example. But without the need for regulatory intervention this issue has been addressed. As companies using diacetyl, fell foul of aware vapers and were forced to address the issue.
An issue that you raised and others do often, is the concern of children vaping. This certainly is a concern, but I have to stress that nigh on all vaping suppliers have operated a strict policy of denying sales to those under 18. Prior to any hint of regulatory intervention. Also that despite regulations, children still readily access tobacco products and become smokers (note I do draw a distinction between smoking products and vaping products). What the TPD stands to create, is a black market in vaping supplies. This is an issue that must concern us all, as we well know that black market operators are less concerned about safety, their concern is purely profit. Further all current evidence is that there little to no, take up in vaping as a gateway to smoking.
I enclose a link to the change.org petition regarding TPD, supporting Lord Callanan's Prayer motion to block TPD regulations on vaping. Because it contains some useful information, you may wish to verify and use yourself. I note it contains a form letter to Health Minister Jane Ellison, I would not suggest you use that. But if my position does move you, it does contain some useful details to formulate a letter that you could, if you so wished, send.
Yours sincerely,
David Funnell
http://tinyurl.com/h9gg3eo
Dear Mr ,
Thank you for contacting me about the regulation of e-cigarettes. I was pleased to hear about your success in cutting down smoking. (I had mentioned thanks to vaping I hadn't smoked and reduced my nicotine to the 3mg variety)
The Government recognises that e-cigarettes help smokers to quit and the evidence indicates that they are considerably less harmfull to health than cigarettes. At the same time, it is essential that we do not encourage smoking and continue to protect children from the effects of nicotine. (I had pointed out the lack of evidence that vaping acted as a gateway to smoking and that most vaping providers actively enforced restrictions on sales to under 18's prior to any requirement to do so.)
Ministers have confirmed that there are no plans to mandate European Union rules on taxing e-ciggarettes and no proposals have been submitted. As the EU Commission clarified last week, all that has happened is the Commission has been asked to analyse the issue of e-cigarettes further as wider part of the Tobacco Duties Directive. Any proposal would need the unanimous support of all 28 EU governments to be approved.
I hope you find this information helpful and thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours Sincerely,
Julian Smith.
Unsure why he brought up Tobacco Duties Directive, or taxation as I had explicitly written regard the TPD and it's draconian effects upon the vaping community.
My response email...
Dear Julian Smith,
I responding to your prompt and welcome response to my email regarding the TPD, you responded referring to the TDD and taxation of vaping products (This may well be my fault, I may have referenced the TDD in error, if so apologies). Taxation is an issue I am not currently overtly concerned about, given the dangerous consequences stemming from the TPD. Legislation that seems designed to hinder vaping companies, not affiliated with the tobacco industry (and that has effectively killed the vaping industry in some countries). The TPD regulations place an onerous burden upon vaping companies with costs running into the ten's of thousands for EACH variant of e-liquid. So if they produce an e-liquid at multiple strengths, as most do, they have to have each strength of e-liquid tested, as well as each 'flavour' variant! Now I am not against a robust and diligent set of regulations, because there have been issues with e-liquids and diacetyl for example. But without the need for regulatory intervention this issue has been addressed. As companies using diacetyl, fell foul of aware vapers and were forced to address the issue.
An issue that you raised and others do often, is the concern of children vaping. This certainly is a concern, but I have to stress that nigh on all vaping suppliers have operated a strict policy of denying sales to those under 18. Prior to any hint of regulatory intervention. Also that despite regulations, children still readily access tobacco products and become smokers (note I do draw a distinction between smoking products and vaping products). What the TPD stands to create, is a black market in vaping supplies. This is an issue that must concern us all, as we well know that black market operators are less concerned about safety, their concern is purely profit. Further all current evidence is that there little to no, take up in vaping as a gateway to smoking.
I enclose a link to the change.org petition regarding TPD, supporting Lord Callanan's Prayer motion to block TPD regulations on vaping. Because it contains some useful information, you may wish to verify and use yourself. I note it contains a form letter to Health Minister Jane Ellison, I would not suggest you use that. But if my position does move you, it does contain some useful details to formulate a letter that you could, if you so wished, send.
Yours sincerely,
David Funnell
http://tinyurl.com/h9gg3eo
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