URGENT CALL: The Future Of Vaping Is In Your Hands

Forum staff--grateful if you will let this ride as a "new subject" in this section for a couple of days rather just be added (and potentially missed by some) to the ongoing conversation under "vaping info" given the urgency/time-barred need for the maximum numbers of Brits (others encourage too) lobby before time runs out this week. Thanks.

This Week The Future Of Vaping Is In Your Hands
Abzed.com
5 Jun 2016 — Parliament will soon be voting on the TPD. That vote will be decided by how you and thousands of other vapers put pressure on politicians.

Over recent days there have been meetings with health ministers, shadow health ministers and the chief whip. They are worried by Lord Callanan’s motion.

Yet to turn their worries into a win in Parliament we need to put the right pressure on the right politicians. If we do that then by Friday the TPD’s hated laws on vaping will have been voted down and become history in the UK.

We don’t know yet which day this week the vote will happen - but it won’t be Monday. What is clear is that every hour will count.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE over the next 48 hours IS TO CONVINCE LABOUR that it has to back Lord Callanan.

a) If you haven’t contacted Labour’s Shadow Health Team over the last 24 hours then do it again.
Tweet:
@heidi_mp @lucianaberger @GwynneMP @KeeleyMP @justinmadders @lordphilofbrum
Email: heidi.alexander.mp@parliament.uk, luciana.berger.mp@parliament.uk, keeleyb@parliament.uk, gwynneA@parliament.uk,
justin.madders.mp@parliament.uk, huntp@parliament.uk
When they are inundated they will understand the level of concern.

b) Ask your friends and your e-liquid supplier to do the same. (If your supplier does nothing then you can come to your own conclusion.)


c) phone and email your MP with your story and why you hate the TPD. Their contact details are here: MPs - UK Parliament

Keep your communications respectful.

Here are some points you might want to make:

One: Jeremy Corbyn described the TPD’s rules on e-cigs as “perverse,” “strange” and “contradictory.” So how could Labour now justify voting for them?


Two: Labour’s Health Minister, Lord Hunt, told Parliament last month that e-cigarettes shouldn’t be in the TPD. So how could Labour explain doing a U-Turn and voting for the rules?

Three: There are 4,300 vapers in every constituency. If Labour were to back the government how would it explain its hypocrisy to those voters?


Four: Government officials say that the rules on vaping will reduce the choice of vaping products by 96% and could increase prices and push people back to smoking. Should Parliament be voting for this?

Five: Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians say that vaping is 95% safer and are encouraging smokers to switch to vaping. So why would Parliament want to strangle the supply of vaping products, ban advertising and force packaging to carry big warning labels?


Six: If MPs want us to believe that the relationship with the European Union works then this is the week to demonstrate it by forcing Brussels to think again on a piece of botched legislation.

Final Thoughts: i) We look forward to encouraging you with the results of that big opinion poll of vapers which is being carried out by the major polling company, Populus. ii) Please get emailing and tweeting now.

 

As important as this post is this will still likely be decided based on the strength of the lobbyists and big tobacco money. In the USA big tobacco has made it clear that it does not want the competition. They are willing to spend billions if necessary to make certain it doesn't happen. I don't personally believe this has anything to do with health issues.

 

UPDATE -- The Future Of Vaping:

“Never interfere with the enemy when he is in the process of destroying himself.” Napoleon
Abzed.com
8 Jun 2016 — #LordsVapeVote

No politician has done more for vaping than the incredibly courageous Martin Callanan. As an MEP and now in the House of Lords he has fought like a tiger for vaping.

He is the man who more than any other in the European Parliament successfully fought off compulsory medicinal regulation of e-cigarettes which would have completely killed vaping for 500 million Europeans.

However in the UK Parliament, he has not been able to block the pro EU Commission instincts of Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, Heidi Alexander. Despite Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn having described the TPD as “perverse” and “contradictory”, Labour has announced that it will vote against Lord Callanan’s fatal motion against the TPD. Sadly there is simply now no chance of the Lords vote being won.

#vapersnotidiots

Over the next few days opinion polling will show how vapers have seen Labour as having been reasonably supportive. No longer. The 4,300 vapers in each constituency will remember. The polling will also show how vapers realise that it was lobbying by the big pharma companies which make huge profits out of treating smoking related diseases that was behind Article 20 of the TPD.

#brexitpoker

Vapers have to play a tactical hand, and there is no greater hand that could be given us than the 23 June. This extraordinary referendum is not just extremely close but is exceptionally important to those with the gift of offering vapers what we want. The EU Commission.

So instead of waiting ten years for the implementation of the next TPD in the hope that it will be better than the current one, we can persuade the Commission over the next fortnight into making the very small concessions we want in exchange for the very big victory it wants.

Many vapers rightly see lots of good things in the EU. But if you want to win then you have to fight like a tiger.

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is…the end of the beginning.” Churchill

 

Thanks for keeping us in the loop, interesting stuff.

 

I wrote to my MP a couple of months ago detailing the health benefits I have got from vaping. No reply. Now I'm waiting for Independence Day. No need to enforce S.20 of the TPD, and another 50% off sale from Triphammer (I hope).

 

UPDATE:
If You’re Angry About LordsVapeVote - Here’s Something To Do
Abzed.com
10 Jun 2016 — Despite the setback in the Lords, vapers are making ground in Westminster. One well placed source in Parliament described the lobbying that they had faced over the last fortnight as “huge.”

So your pressure has not been wasted. It has caused politicians to start to think how to win your support by pushing for a quick reform of the TPD. So let’s keep knocking on the door.

Here’s a simple thing to do this weekend.

Yesterday a very important figure, the Leader of the House of Commons Chris Grayling, told MPs that the e-cigarette rules in the TPD “have been carefully considered by the appropriate Committees of the House.” (You can read his words here: Business of the House: 9 Jun 2016: House of Commons debates - TheyWorkForYou)

Those who recall the Parliamentary process of the TPD will know his statement is completely untrue. They were not “carefully considered.” Instead Parliament was misled and bypassed by an arrogant minister.

Firstly: the European Scrutiny Committee which is supposed to review EU legislation was “overridden” (that means ignored) by the junior health minister Anna Soubry MP.

Secondly: she failed to follow procedure and talk about her decision with other government departments

Thirdly: Anna, misled the Committee when she told it that e-cigarettes “fell out of the Directive.” E-cigarettes were in the Directive - and sadly remain there.

It's really worth watching her speak to the Committee (video: That Minister & ecigs - YouTube text: House of Commons - European Scrutiny Committee - No - Minutes of Evidence: HC 591-i). Does it look like Parliament "carefully considered" the matter?

So what can you do? Tweet Chris Grayling at @commonsleader and email him at commonsleader@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Ask him to watch the video. Let him feel some of that “huge” pressure. Respectfully suggest that he should correct his false statement to Parliament. There are 2.8 million vapers. We won’t forget LordsVapeVote.

(FYI: more background articles on Anna Soubry's involvement: Simon Clark - Taking Liberties - Minister denied MPs opportunity to scrutinise Tobacco Product Directive Why Are Labour Not Outraged By This? | Dick Puddlecote Velvet Glove, Iron Fist: Anna Soubry must go Liberal Vision » Blog Archive » Anna Soubry: A one woman walking disaster and The Devil's Knife: The disingenuous Anna Soubry MP )

 

It took me about 30 mins of my time to write a letter then send them out, not a lot of time for something so important. If your from the UK please take the time.