EU Tobacco Products Directive

We all know that electronic cigarettes generate a lot of speculations (Specially for the Scientific and Health Communities) and not all of them are positive. The same goes for European countries by which news laws controlling tobacco and nicotine products such are electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes; are being proposed.

I know, I know...you might be asking why does this concern me or why would it bother me? Well, "the proposed legislation would ban, or effectively ban, nicotine products that people can (and do) use as much less dangerous alternatives to smoking cigarettes – for example, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, vapour devices, or other novel ways of taking nicotine that don’t involve burning tobacco. Although the risk is reduced by 95-99% if there is no smoke, Europe still thinks it is better to ban these products even though they are a potential life-saver for people who can’t or don’t want to give up nicotine.   If you use these products yourself, they are restricting your options and adding to your health risks.  Background information on ‘tobacco harm reduction’ here "


Still, doesn't concern you? 


Here's a summary of what they're trying to do...

1. Bans the safest tobacco products.

2. Treats e-cigarettes as though they are medicines – potentially banning or marginalizing them.

3. Prevents any claim that one tobacco product is less harmful than another.

Does It Even Matter?

Well, real people are at stake here. In case you didn't know, "smoking kills about 700,000 and costs €25 billion in health care costs in Europe annually (about 100,000 and £3.7 billion for the UK) [source]"

 If this new law is passed, safer alternatives or potentially safer options would then be banned and thus harm reduction for those people who finds it hard to quit would be perilous.

"The proposed directive contains measures that make it harder or impossible for smokers to switch from cigarettes to much less dangerous nicotine products – an approach that will cause much more death and disease than it prevents. If you smoke, use e-cigarettes, or if have friends or relatives that smoke, or if you are concerned about the health damage from smoking, then this directive matters to you." 
-taken from e-cigarette-forum.com post



What Can I do?

•  Write to your MP and MEPs

Here's a short Guide on  Who to Write and What to Say about EU Tobacco Directives.