EU Proposes Effective Ban on E-Cigarette Cartridges/Eliquid

[KulrMeStoopid]

I have just received this reply from one of my MEPs. If anybody can give links to studies as well as all UK law and regulation of ecigs I would appreciate it as she seems to be asking me to do her research for her. The only good thing I can say is that she replied!

Thank you for contacting me regarding the revision of the Tobacco Products Directive.

You are correct in thinking that as this Directive was adopted ten years ago, proposals to amend it have now been put forward with a view to being adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2014 and coming into effect between 2015 and 2016.

Whist the overall objective of the revision is to improve the functioning of the internal market, it is expected that citizens in all Member States will benefit from improved public health.

The revision addresses the following main issues:

• how to regulate products which do not contain tobacco, but which are closely linked to smoking or tobacco consumption, for example electronic- and herbal cigarettes,
• labelling and packaging of tobacco products
• additives, such as flavourings, used in tobacco products,
• internet sales of tobacco products and
• tracking and tracing of these products.

I understand that as a previous heavy smoker you are concerned by the idea that electronic cigarettes could be banned by this Directive. However, electronic cigarettes containing nicotine over a certain threshold will be allowed if they have been authorised as pharmaceuticals. It is only cigarettes, roll-your-own and smokeless tobacco products that have a characterising flavour, such as menthol cigarettes and smokeless tobacco with a liquorice taste that will be prohibited.

As electronic cigarettes are still a relatively new invention, I believe that much more research needs to be done before a final Directive can be agreed on. Evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes is limited and there is no evidence regarding the health effects of long term use. Although it is unlikely that long term use of e-cigarettes is as harmful as smoking, inconsistencies in product contents and labelling need to be addressed.

In addition, a study on the acute pulmonary effects of using an e-cigarette found that there are immediate adverse physiological effects after short term use that are similar to some of the effects seen with tobacco smoking. Further, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that there is concern that nicotine delivery to the lung might result in stronger toxicological, physiological and addictive effects.

However, I do believe that this evidence must be balanced against the numerous studies where smokers, including yourself, have been able to quit conventional cigarettes after taking up an e-cigarette.

I believe it is necessary for the out-of-date Tobacco Products Directive to be updated, but the manner in which this is done needs to take account of current scientific evidence to ensure that the health of the public in general is a main concern. More research needs to be done as to the health effects of e-cigarettes and the Directive adjusted accordingly.

I hope this information is helpful to you. I will continue to monitor the situation closely and remain up-to-date with any developments in this field. When I have the opportunity to vote on this matter in the European Parliament you have my assurance that I will do so. In the meantime if you feel there is any further way I can be of assistance, or if you have studies in this area that you would like to draw my attention to, then please do not hesitate to contact me again.

I believe the study she is referring to which is the one that was recanted for being flawed within days of it being released.

http://spo.escardio.org/Abstract.aspx?abstractBookId=105369 Acute Effects on Myocardial Function


http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/08958378.2012.724728 Indoor Air Quality


Show her that PG is used in Asthma inhalers as well and that everything in an ecig is approved for human consumption all ready!

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

http://clearstream.flavourart.it/site/?lang=en Also loads of info here



http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.it/2012/09/experts-from-university-of-athens-tell.html

 

[Ace Vapers]

Good point. Would be worth sending!

 

[AnnaLaw]

Thanks KurlmeStoopid, I've sent a reply with those links, but the pulmonary study link you gave was wrong. I could only find http://www.escardio.org/about/press...fects-electronic-cigarettes-heart-damage.aspx and the link you gave came up with a server error.
I also expanded, making it clear that I was only interested in the ecig part, mentioned cost and time for MA, suggested that current UK law, maybe with tighter checks on quality, would be the best amendment, suggested a non-prescription limit of 24mg/ml, said I was worried that zero nic would lead children to smoking where nic would put them off, and said if it becomes law as is, both myself and many others would be making a beeline to the tobacco counter.

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

Thanks KurlmeStoopid, I've sent a reply with those links, but the pulmonary study link you gave was wrong. I could only find http://www.escardio.org/about/press...fects-electronic-cigarettes-heart-damage.aspx and the link you gave came up with a server error.
I also expanded, making it clear that I was only interested in the ecig part, mentioned cost and time for MA, suggested that current UK law, maybe with tighter checks on quality, would be the best amendment, suggested a non-prescription limit of 24mg/ml, said I was worried that zero nic would lead children to smoking where nic would put them off, and said if it becomes law as is, both myself and many others would be making a beeline to the tobacco counter.

http://www.escardio.org/about/press...nts/presentations/konstantinos-farsalinos.pdf

They seem to have moved it!

 

[AnnaLaw]

http://www.escardio.org/about/press...nts/presentations/konstantinos-farsalinos.pdf

They seem to have moved it!

I sent the link to the press release so if she wants she can hunt up the research.
I think I accidentally sent it twice though so I certainly can't send the original link!
MHRA are doing research because their recommendation to ban ecigs in 2010 didn't pas the sanity check introduced after the election.
But nobody who has ever vaped is allowed to take part in the research and cigalikes don't work well if you use them in the same way as cigarettes.
Cigalikes deliver less anyway, tiny batteries and cartos I'd have a prune-face from sucking if I'd not have moved on.

 

[AnnaLaw]

The thig I don't understand is the face that they are putting a threshold on the amount of nicotine in a liquid! The ingredients are the same. So why the need to put a limit on the amount of nicotine?

To make it ineffective?

 

[KulrMeStoopid]

I have suggested to several of the MP/MEPs who responded to me, to definitely look into the forums, I did not suggest this one alone, in fact none of them, just told them to google UK Vaping and to go from there. I mentioned that the general Online community is probably more knowledgeable about ecigs then say... youre general user who doesnt use forums/blogs or get updated as much or have as many resources as we do. So we will see!

 

[AnnaLaw]

This response was posted in the VTTV Forum, from the office of one MEP:_
As you will have noticed from the date on the front page of the
Commission's proposal, this is a brand new proposal for EU legislation.
As such it next has to go through a committee of the European Parliament
for our First Reading and very probably amendment. I would strongly
recommend that whoever is responsible for speaking on behalf of your
interests - for example a trade association - gets over to Brussels and
talks in detail to members of the relevant committee and answers their
individual questions. Sending emails will not be enough.
In the European Parliament, every MEP is free to make up his or her mind
how to vote and we have no whips like at Westminster who force MPs how
to vote. So, your spokesman needs to talk with us, one to one,
individually.

 

[Ace Vapers]

Here is a positive response from an MP. It just hows that we ALL need to make our voices heard to make anything happen! Take a read.

"You are not alone in contacting me on this issue - many constituents feel similarly strongly. I have examined the arguments and I see the potential e-cigarettes offer as harm-reduction devices to improve human health. I am particularly convinced by the fact that e-cigarettes offer concentrated nicotine to addicts without the 4000 toxins and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, that use of e-cigarettes removes the risk posed to non-smokers (and especially to children of smokers) by second hand smoke, that e-cigarettes appeal to adult smokers seeking to quit but not generally to children or those not yet addicted to nicotine, that traditional nicotine replacement therapies proposed by the NHS and the pharmaceutical industry have had very limited success in helping smokers quit permanently, and that thousands of British e-cigarette users (and millions across the EU and the world) are likely return to smoking if the directive is amended as foreseen and nicotine concentrations are limited to 4mg/ml. I have no doubt that this will lead to a large percentage of such users dying of smoking-related diseases they might otherwise have avoided, with all the personal and societal consequences this would mean. Such arguments have led me to conclude that the proposed changes to limit permitted concentrations of nicotine solution sold in the EU are counter-productive and will do much more harm than good.

Changes to EU tobacco legislation have been expected for some time but were delayed by the recent resignation of the previous European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, John Dalli. His replacement, Tonio Borg, has expressed a desire to change the law before his mandate expires in June 2014. To prevent the proposed changes concerning e-cigarettes and all the negative consequences that would arise, we must work hard in the year ahead to build solid majorities in both the Parliament and the Council.

As a member of the Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety I will do everything in my power to make the arguments and convince other MEPs of the foolishness of diluting nicotine solution to the point of uselessness.
I would also encourage you to raise awareness among others in the vapourizing community. The internet offers considerable opportunities to draw the attention of a wide audience to the issue and to contact your elected representatives quickly and easily. If you have not already done so I would encourage you to write to your MP and request him to raise the matter in Westminster, and persuade other e-cigarette users to do the same. If we bring to the attention of the public, the political world and the media the strong arguments in favour of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction device and the number of lives which can be saved through their use, we have a very strong chance of winning the argument."