E-cigarette user associations unanimously support Clive Bates’ official Complaint against e-cigarette regulations in the TPD

On 13 January 2014, Clive Bates, who amongst his other roles was head of ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), published a Complaint sent on the same day to the European Ombudsman. The Complaint, which has attracted the overwhelming support of European vapers’ organisations, is about the unnecessarily severe regulation of e-cigarettes in the proposed Tobacco Products Directive.

http://www.clivebates.com/?p=1818

Here is a list of the national vapers’ associations in EVUN supporting this complaint, together with brief statements explaining their reasons to do so:

AIDUCE (France) on behalf of users. Electronic cigarettes are deemed by France’s health professionals to be infinitely less dangerous than smoked tobacco. The growth in the number of smokers who are adopting them is exponential. According to their testimony on our user forums, well over half eventually quit tobacco altogether. The proposed measures would severely restrict the attractiveness of e-cigarettes for smokers; and indeed for many vapers who would return to tobacco. They are absurd in terms of public health policy.

Norsk Dampselskap (NDS) on behalf of Norwegian users. We also wish to add our support to this complaint, as the proposed Directive is a text with EEA relevance. The proposed regulation will greatly restrict ecigs/personal vaporizers and make them far less attractive as an alternative product for smokers of tobacco product.

Villanypára Egyesület (Hungary) sign this on behalf of Hungarian vapers :
The proposal as it stands would be a big mistake in the fight against tobacco and prevent adoption of a healthier alternative. We are vapers not smokers and we are much healthier thanks to e-cigarettes!

Acvoda (NL) on behalf of consumers. The proposals would force a number of perfectly satisfactory and safe products from the market, limiting consumer choice and appeal, and potentially causing regress to smoking.

DADAFO - Dansk e-Damper Forening - Danish Vaping Society - wholeheartedly supports the complaint issued by Clive Bates to the EU-ombudsman. The ignorance from the legislators, the denial from the Council and the Commission to understand what the European people wants, is horrendous. Vaping has nothing to do with tobacco, and even less to do with being a form of medicine. And trying to deny other smokers in the EU (and for that matter, in the whole world) the chance to choose a much safer alternative to smoking, will cause millions of premature deaths.

ABVD.be (Belgium) on behalf of users. We are strongly convinced that ecigs must be taken out of the tobacco directive. According to us, ecigs devices and e-liquids should be considered in another specific regulation, elaborated in accordance with public health fair principles and in close collaboration with genuinely independent experts and scientists. Also users' opinions and experiences should ideally be taken into account. We, ABVD.be, do not accept, or can't agree with, this unfair proposed directive, written in a hurry, lacking any scientific background or evidences and obviously influenced by lobbies.

IG-ED e.V. (Germany/Austria) - German speaking vapers will not tolerate to be forced back into smoking tobacco, therefore we support this complaint.

SUEP (Polish Vapers Association) – on behalf of the users. We do not want to be forced to use tobacco cigarettes again – e-cigarettes are much less harmful alternative. It is our right to choose!