Mark
Legend
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From the World Health Organisation report
http://corporateeurope.org/news/tobacco-lobbyists-all-fired-ahead-key-vote
Electronic cigarettes: the next big thing?
It has already been reported in the media, in particular a recent exposé in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ),12 that the battle around the classification and restrictions on e-cigarettes in the Tobacco Product Directive has been intense. MEPs and their assistants have told CEO that they are most often contacted by the electronic cigarette lobby regarding this Directive.
Electronic cigarettes - also called ‘personal vaporisers’ - are battery-powered inhalers that vaporise a nicotine liquid solution. Electronic cigarette companies claim they are a safe alternative to cigarettes, but the World Health Organisation has warned that too little is known about the health risks of long term use. Moreover, the WSJ documented that e-cigarette makers are emulating tactics once used by tobacco companies, such as sponsoring medical studies and testimonials from doctors, and running television spots advertising the use of e-cigarettes indoors or in the presence of children. WSJ quoted a professor at the Research Center for Prevention and Health in Copenhagen as explaining that the e-cigarette industry “is really undermining all the progress we have made in de-normalizing smoking."
Under proposals in the Tobacco Products Directive, e-cigarettes would be classed as a medicine, subjected to intense testing and might only be available in pharmacies in some countries. The Directive also proposes they be reduced in strength. The Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association and the European Smokeless Tobacco Council are lobbying hard against these proposals. Individual electronic cigarette firms have also been directing intense fire at the Parliament, now it that the Directive is in MEPs' hands.
UK electronic cigarette manufacturer Skycig have urged users, their friends and family, to contact their MEPs, claiming that millions of people would turn back to cigarettes “effectively allowing 5 million people to die from smoking related illnesses”.13
Paul Murphy MEP explained that in the Parliament, MEPs “are subjected to a lot of astroturf campaigning in the sense that it is manufactured. We get emails from so-called ordinary constituents about electronic cigarettes. But they are really detailed about the Directive.”
‘Astroturf’ is the name given to seemingly grass roots campaigns, that have actually been established, encouraged and sometimes funded by companies and corporate lobby groups interested in their success. One MEP assistant told CEO: “They have organised online, created electronic cigarette forums. They’re quite an aggressive lobby”. Another said: “We get a lot of abuse on Twitter about calling for more legislation on electronic cigarettes.”
Totally Wicked, another UK electronic cigarette firm, sent every MEP an e-cigarette. One MEP commented incredulously that “They are sending addictive drugs to MEPs. It is quite incredible”. Jutta Haug MEP from the S&D said she had been “strongly lobbied by electronic cigarette users”. The rapporteur on the Tobacco Products Directive, Linda McAvan MEP, has also said that “There is a very aggressive attitude.”
Indeed, Ms McAvan was the center of a controversy around e-cigarette company Totally Wicked after their managing director stepped down at the end of June, after admitting sending “inappropriate” emails to Ms McAvan. In the emails, the former managing director called in to question her legitimacy and motivations
...and ECCA's response
http://www.eccauk.org/images/pdf/ceo.pdf
Tobacco lobbyists all fired up ahead of key vote
We read, with growing incredulity, the above report. It demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the bulk of lobbying regarding electronic cigarettes and slurs the many thousands of individuals involved.
We would, therefore, ask you to publicly name the tobacco companies and electronic cigarette companies that are responsible for:
"...targeted social media and email campaigns ... indirect lobbying... seemingly grass roots campaigns, that have actually been established, encouraged and sometimes funded by companies and corporate lobby groups..."
The 'Totally Wicked' E-cigarette company may well be lobbying hard now – but they were not involved to our knowledge in anything public until quite recently. Many outside the Totally Wicked forum felt that they were simply climbing onto the bandwagon created by individuals when they asked other forums to support their letter many months later.i In late January 2013, the company executives stated that: “...We have consciously taken a 'watch and wait' approach until some clear detail emerged[sic] on the likely direction of the international regulating bodies...”
We would also ask you to make public the evidence, rather than anecdotal comment, that proves that any corporate body is behind individuals organising online, creating electronic cigarette forums and ‘abusing’ MEP's through social media.
In particular, we would ask you to demonstrate, publically, the evidence that shows any corporate interests behind the creation of the following user forums:
Electronic Cigarette Forum
UK Vapers
Planet of the Vapes
All About E-cigarettes
Your report appears to assume that electronic cigarettes (and the largely SME’s that retail them) are part of the tobacco industry. They are NOT.
Only when the tobacco companies started to see a decline in their profits did they consider entering the electronic cigarette market. Their financial power is capable of destroying the existing suppliers who are, in the main, a cottage industry, each formed by ex-smokers who had, themselves, switched to electronic cigarettes. To conflate tobacco with electronic cigarettes is a naive assumption based on the fact
that MEP’s cannot believe that their own constituents might have enough intelligence to understand research and be sufficiently motivated to campaign for alteration to a draft directive which, if adopted unchanged, would have a profound impact on their lives .
It is frankly offensive to many e-cigarette users to be associated with the tobacco industry and it is patronising to assume that individuals are incapable of forming a coherent argument unless they are led by the hand by some corporate body.
The belief that:
“...Other MEPs’ assistants testified that a number of emails from constituents looked suspiciously similar and assumed they were part of a co-ordinated campaign instigated by the tobacco industry...”
hangs upon the word ‘assumed’ – To assume is to make an ass out of you and me and this statement from your report achieves this surprisingly well.
This merely demonstrates that these assistants had failed to consider the groundswell of public anger caused by MEP’s lack of understanding of electronic cigarettes and their users at the publication of the draft directive. It was clear that the legislators had no understanding of the product, the method of use or the background research.
In fact, individuals posted copies of letters and emails that they had sent to MEP’s onto unaffiliated forums. The main forums are not funded by anyone other than individuals and they have no association with tobacco companies or any other corporate bodies. It is hardly surprising that some people would copy what they considered a ‘good’ letter rather than write their own.
Your report states that:
“...The tobacco industry has a long record of manipulation and disinformation...”
Unfortunately it appears that such tactics are not the sole prerogative of the tobacco companies. Your own organisation claims to be:
"...working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and their lobby groups in EU policy making..."
You also state on your website that your organisation:
"...works in close alliance with public interest groups and social movements in and outside Europe to develop alternatives to the dominance of corporate power..."
In this instance, you have failed to recognise a grass roots movement and you dismiss it as corporate manipulation & we strongly urge you to look more closely at the objective evidence rather than rely on the views of some MEP's who cannot believe the level of discontent this issue has caused.
It is a sad indictment of our political system that when there is an outcry from individuals about a poorly thought out directive, the great and the good choose to dismiss the voices of the people that they are supposed to represent.
ECCA UK believe that CEO should respond to us on the points raised above and complete a more robust assessment of the facts than appears to have been done so far. If you are truly concerned about social injustice then we would be happy to offer our support. Unfortunately, on this occasion, you seem to have mistaken public outcry for corporate influence and may also have inadvertently missed the original corporate drivers of this directive.
i Totally Wicked first posted their campaigning letter of the UKV forum on 13th June 2013.
http://corporateeurope.org/news/tobacco-lobbyists-all-fired-ahead-key-vote
Electronic cigarettes: the next big thing?
It has already been reported in the media, in particular a recent exposé in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ),12 that the battle around the classification and restrictions on e-cigarettes in the Tobacco Product Directive has been intense. MEPs and their assistants have told CEO that they are most often contacted by the electronic cigarette lobby regarding this Directive.
Electronic cigarettes - also called ‘personal vaporisers’ - are battery-powered inhalers that vaporise a nicotine liquid solution. Electronic cigarette companies claim they are a safe alternative to cigarettes, but the World Health Organisation has warned that too little is known about the health risks of long term use. Moreover, the WSJ documented that e-cigarette makers are emulating tactics once used by tobacco companies, such as sponsoring medical studies and testimonials from doctors, and running television spots advertising the use of e-cigarettes indoors or in the presence of children. WSJ quoted a professor at the Research Center for Prevention and Health in Copenhagen as explaining that the e-cigarette industry “is really undermining all the progress we have made in de-normalizing smoking."
Under proposals in the Tobacco Products Directive, e-cigarettes would be classed as a medicine, subjected to intense testing and might only be available in pharmacies in some countries. The Directive also proposes they be reduced in strength. The Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association and the European Smokeless Tobacco Council are lobbying hard against these proposals. Individual electronic cigarette firms have also been directing intense fire at the Parliament, now it that the Directive is in MEPs' hands.
UK electronic cigarette manufacturer Skycig have urged users, their friends and family, to contact their MEPs, claiming that millions of people would turn back to cigarettes “effectively allowing 5 million people to die from smoking related illnesses”.13
Paul Murphy MEP explained that in the Parliament, MEPs “are subjected to a lot of astroturf campaigning in the sense that it is manufactured. We get emails from so-called ordinary constituents about electronic cigarettes. But they are really detailed about the Directive.”
‘Astroturf’ is the name given to seemingly grass roots campaigns, that have actually been established, encouraged and sometimes funded by companies and corporate lobby groups interested in their success. One MEP assistant told CEO: “They have organised online, created electronic cigarette forums. They’re quite an aggressive lobby”. Another said: “We get a lot of abuse on Twitter about calling for more legislation on electronic cigarettes.”
Totally Wicked, another UK electronic cigarette firm, sent every MEP an e-cigarette. One MEP commented incredulously that “They are sending addictive drugs to MEPs. It is quite incredible”. Jutta Haug MEP from the S&D said she had been “strongly lobbied by electronic cigarette users”. The rapporteur on the Tobacco Products Directive, Linda McAvan MEP, has also said that “There is a very aggressive attitude.”
Indeed, Ms McAvan was the center of a controversy around e-cigarette company Totally Wicked after their managing director stepped down at the end of June, after admitting sending “inappropriate” emails to Ms McAvan. In the emails, the former managing director called in to question her legitimacy and motivations
...and ECCA's response
http://www.eccauk.org/images/pdf/ceo.pdf
Tobacco lobbyists all fired up ahead of key vote
We read, with growing incredulity, the above report. It demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the bulk of lobbying regarding electronic cigarettes and slurs the many thousands of individuals involved.
We would, therefore, ask you to publicly name the tobacco companies and electronic cigarette companies that are responsible for:
"...targeted social media and email campaigns ... indirect lobbying... seemingly grass roots campaigns, that have actually been established, encouraged and sometimes funded by companies and corporate lobby groups..."
The 'Totally Wicked' E-cigarette company may well be lobbying hard now – but they were not involved to our knowledge in anything public until quite recently. Many outside the Totally Wicked forum felt that they were simply climbing onto the bandwagon created by individuals when they asked other forums to support their letter many months later.i In late January 2013, the company executives stated that: “...We have consciously taken a 'watch and wait' approach until some clear detail emerged[sic] on the likely direction of the international regulating bodies...”
We would also ask you to make public the evidence, rather than anecdotal comment, that proves that any corporate body is behind individuals organising online, creating electronic cigarette forums and ‘abusing’ MEP's through social media.
In particular, we would ask you to demonstrate, publically, the evidence that shows any corporate interests behind the creation of the following user forums:
Electronic Cigarette Forum
UK Vapers
Planet of the Vapes
All About E-cigarettes
Your report appears to assume that electronic cigarettes (and the largely SME’s that retail them) are part of the tobacco industry. They are NOT.
Only when the tobacco companies started to see a decline in their profits did they consider entering the electronic cigarette market. Their financial power is capable of destroying the existing suppliers who are, in the main, a cottage industry, each formed by ex-smokers who had, themselves, switched to electronic cigarettes. To conflate tobacco with electronic cigarettes is a naive assumption based on the fact
that MEP’s cannot believe that their own constituents might have enough intelligence to understand research and be sufficiently motivated to campaign for alteration to a draft directive which, if adopted unchanged, would have a profound impact on their lives .
It is frankly offensive to many e-cigarette users to be associated with the tobacco industry and it is patronising to assume that individuals are incapable of forming a coherent argument unless they are led by the hand by some corporate body.
The belief that:
“...Other MEPs’ assistants testified that a number of emails from constituents looked suspiciously similar and assumed they were part of a co-ordinated campaign instigated by the tobacco industry...”
hangs upon the word ‘assumed’ – To assume is to make an ass out of you and me and this statement from your report achieves this surprisingly well.
This merely demonstrates that these assistants had failed to consider the groundswell of public anger caused by MEP’s lack of understanding of electronic cigarettes and their users at the publication of the draft directive. It was clear that the legislators had no understanding of the product, the method of use or the background research.
In fact, individuals posted copies of letters and emails that they had sent to MEP’s onto unaffiliated forums. The main forums are not funded by anyone other than individuals and they have no association with tobacco companies or any other corporate bodies. It is hardly surprising that some people would copy what they considered a ‘good’ letter rather than write their own.
Your report states that:
“...The tobacco industry has a long record of manipulation and disinformation...”
Unfortunately it appears that such tactics are not the sole prerogative of the tobacco companies. Your own organisation claims to be:
"...working to expose and challenge the privileged access and influence enjoyed by corporations and their lobby groups in EU policy making..."
You also state on your website that your organisation:
"...works in close alliance with public interest groups and social movements in and outside Europe to develop alternatives to the dominance of corporate power..."
In this instance, you have failed to recognise a grass roots movement and you dismiss it as corporate manipulation & we strongly urge you to look more closely at the objective evidence rather than rely on the views of some MEP's who cannot believe the level of discontent this issue has caused.
It is a sad indictment of our political system that when there is an outcry from individuals about a poorly thought out directive, the great and the good choose to dismiss the voices of the people that they are supposed to represent.
ECCA UK believe that CEO should respond to us on the points raised above and complete a more robust assessment of the facts than appears to have been done so far. If you are truly concerned about social injustice then we would be happy to offer our support. Unfortunately, on this occasion, you seem to have mistaken public outcry for corporate influence and may also have inadvertently missed the original corporate drivers of this directive.
i Totally Wicked first posted their campaigning letter of the UKV forum on 13th June 2013.
