So I also got the same cut and paste response back from Heidi Alexander. This thread has prompted me to reply with the following:
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Thank you for getting in touch with me.
Whilst I (and a large portion of the scientific community) disagree with your conclusions I nonetheless appreciate your response to my mail.
I would like to make you aware of this open letter that was sent to the European Health commissioner in 2014 (!!) that pointed out the factual inaccuracies and scientific mis-representation that Article 20 is based upon (
http://www.ecigarette-research.com/web/index.php/2013-04-07-09-50-07/149-tpd-errors)
Based on your evasiveness of the concerns raised I am assuming that you are either unaware of these concerns or have chosen to ignore them.
I had concerns that Article 20 had been pushed through in the dark due to heavy lobbying by the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry, and sadly your reply has not allayed these concerns in any way.
It has also made clear that you seemingly do not care about the potential of current smokers to switch to e-cigarettes as a vector away from smoking in the way that you dismiss the concerns of nicotine concentrations above 20mg/ml, not to mention the estimated current 10% of vapers that rely on these strengths to keep them away from tobacco.
My concerns about 'container' size and 'tank' size (emphasis yours) has nothing to do with manufacturers being able to provide e-liquid in these container sizes by the end of the grace period in 2017 as you seem to suggest, but rather to do with the inconvenience and potential danger that dealing with these frankly ridiculous quantities will impose upon current vapers, future vapers and the safety of those around them.
I appreciate the intent with which the TPD was formed, even though I disagree strongly with the way it is being carried out. I believe that getting more people away from smoking traditional cigarettes is a laudable goal, and it saddens me greatly to see that one of the biggest harm reduction methods that has happened to the tobacco industry in decades is being crippled in these same regulations.
I deeply regret that the implementation of these regulations as they stand will push many current vapers back to cigarettes and discourage many potential vapers from being able to successfully switch. These regulations as implemented have the potential to send many of us to an untimely grave.
Regards