EU Warning : EU is about to vote about Ecig le 8th of October 2013. Vapers RDV the 7 oct 2013

[Leio]

sorry I din't finf any topic about this.
Europe is about to vote the TPD (tobacco Product Directive), a text wich if it is vote like it is written in the proposal will class Ecigarettes as a medical product.
This will be the death of the Free vape as many european countries know it.

A few events or associations are acting to prevent this mainly :

EFVI (European Free vaping Initiative) : EFVI: the European Free Vaping Initiative

In France the independant vapers' association AIDUCE (Association Indépendante Des Utilisateurs de Cigarette électronique) had open a "petition" wich has been sign by more than 37000 persons in 6 months.

You can help them to reach 40000 before the 8th of october it will be a great thing.

To sign the petition : http://www.aiduce.fr/

AIDUCE also launch vap-in-liberty wich is an "event" in association with the CACE (kind of "syndicate" of VP vendors), because the situation is very sensible an action involving both users and vendors was dicided.
https://twitter.com/VapinLiberty

So all vapers or free_vape supporters are welcome to join a meeting organized le 7th of October 2013 at 12H00 in front of the European parlement.

Thank you for all kind of help you can give to these projects (make them buzzz at least)


Thanx for reading

Leio
(moderator on an EC forum : http://ecigarette-public.fr , and "vaptivist" on http://leiovape.wordpress.com )

 

[Leio]

UP
6 days left

note: If VP is classified as "medecine" the law can't/shoudn't be applied before 2018. (but in theses kind of case with billions of $€¥... on the balance everything is still possible)

 

[iAchilles]

It's a sad state of affairs if this goes through, if this ends up in the hands of the big pharma companies my money is on the product being deemed safe and suddenly they'll be advertising it as a smoking cessation device, no doubt they will profit gouge too.

Just look at the cost of nicotine patches and gum, it's scandalous here in Ireland.

I still have some hope the recent German rulings will stifle the directive and reignite debate for better framework on regulatory proposals, but it is just that, hope.

If this is indeed voted through, is that it, game over and no political channel to have this reviewed?

 

[tommy2bad]

It's a sad state of affairs if this goes through, if this ends up in the hands of the big pharma companies my money is on the product being deemed safe and suddenly they'll be advertising it as a smoking cessation device, no doubt they will profit gouge too.

Just look at the cost of nicotine patches and gum, it's scandalous here in Ireland.

I still have some hope the recent German rulings will stifle the directive and reignite debate for better framework on regulatory proposals, but it is just that, hope.

If this is indeed voted through, is that it, game over and no political channel to have this reviewed?

If it went through their would be no political chanell, it would go to the courts and I have a feeling that we would win their.
However this medical regs idea seems to have run aground. An admendment has been brokered for the European Parilment to vote on which would remove medical regulation and replace with a new compromise agrement. Read about it on Clive Bates blog here;
Everyone is involved but no-one is responsible – amending the tobacco directive « The counterfactual
This will be a basis for further horse trading so it's still all to play for.

 

[sebt]

Excellent petition - please sign! (Signed). Clive Bates' article (link in tommy2bad's post above) is also a must-read on the current situation in the European Parliament.

To give this petition more "buzz" (French slang for, I don't know... public impact, public recognition), I've translated it into English:

AIDUCE (Independent Association of Electronic Cigarette Users) presents this petition in support of a device which is subject to efforts to discredit it.

We wish to express our reaction to the proposed measures in the Tobacco Products Directive, submitted by the European Health Commission, and to do this before any decisions are made at the member-state level. To this end we, e-cigarette users, are joining together to demand a neutral evaluation of this new alternative to tobacco smoking, and to insist on full participation in any future consultations which might contribute to legal decisions.

Based on our own personal experience, we are petitioning the authorities to classify these e-cigarette devices in a reasonable fashion, as consumer goods intended for use by adults.

The European Parliament proposal published on 19th December 2012 specified that any products containing more than 2mg of nicotine, containing nicotine at a concentration greater than 4mg/ml, or whose expected use would cause a peak nicotine level in plasma above 4ng/ml, should only be authorised for sale as medicines. This proposal is clear evidence that legislators are taking a mistaken approach. E-cigarettes, which are simply alternatives to tobacco smoking, and which allow smokers to free themselves from a harmful habit, must remain available to everyone as an individual free choice.

Therefore we, users of these products, demand that these devices remain classified as consumer products intended for use by adults, leaving it up to individual members of the public to make their own choice whether and how to use them, but nevertheless placing some restriction on their use by minors.

In particular we would like to emphasise that the maximum nicotine levels specified by the European Parliament are far lower than those currently specified by ANSM (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament - French pharmaceutical drugs authority, similar to the UK MHRA or the US FDA), and would thus severely restrict the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes.

We are well aware of the devastating effects of tobacco use; we, users of e-cigarettes, demand that the authorities conduct an impartial evaluation of this product which seems to offer enormous public-health benefits.

By specifying a maximum nicotine concentration of 4mg/ml, legislators seem to be wanting to make e-cigarettes ineffective, thus preventing smokers who want to cut down or give up from making use of this healthier alternative. Additionally, this limit on nicotine concentration will lead thousands of existing e-cigarette users to go back to smoking cigarettes, rather than continuing to enjoy the benefits of remaining non-smokers.

We e-cigarette users are expressing our concern and disagreement with these proposals, because we are very much aware of the potential public-health benefits of these devices. The fight against the harm caused by smoking is remains our priority: this is why we appeal to elected representatives' sense of responsibility, and ask them to:

- Evaluate this novel solution in a neutral fashion;
- Take account of the fact that it is already being used by many ex-smokers;
- Recognise that it has a real potential to save thousands of lives in the future and;
- Avoid encouraging a black market, merely because they misunderstand these innovative products, which are life-saving for many smokers.

AIDUCE
For further information: contact@aiduce.fr

Notes:
1. This petition is open to all - users, their friends and family who are happy about the changes resulting from e-cigarette use; supporters of a novel alternative to smoking; future users; etc)
2. If you are an e-cigarette user, please feel free to include an account of your personal experience in the comments: when you stopped smoking tobacco, what equipment you use, your state of health.

(Original petition authors: if you feel anything can be improved, or that I've mistranslated anything, do feel free to contact me).

Please sign!

 

[DaveP]

It's strange that any country (emphasis on the US in my case) can work toward banning electronic cigarettes while still allowing tobacco cigarettes to be sold everywhere. Suddenly, you realize that it's not about health. It's about profits and taxes and politics.

 

[Tof']

@sebp : good job for the translation

It's strange that any country (emphasis on the US in my case) can work toward banning electronic cigarettes while still allowing tobacco cigarettes to be sold everywhere. Suddenly, you realize that it's not about health. It's about profits and taxes and politics.

You're absolutely right, the whole story is summed up in these few words: profits, taxes and politics.
So what's left to us ? Only sadness and powerlessness ? Wished we would have some freedom too, sometimes...

 

[Leio]

Tank you for your answers.
Petition will be closed tomorrow à 12h (in france) so only 10hours left !!!
39190 sign in yet !

The petition will be deposit on the 7th october.
I've also been informed that Dutchland have reach 10000.

 

[Leio]

I've add to my blog* this little visual for the fight (pedagogy) and for helping future switchers to dicide themselves :


*Leio Vape | Humour, Vape, Vapote, Ecigarette et p'tites bouffées

 

[Sikkrich]

It's strange that any country (emphasis on the US in my case) can work toward banning electronic cigarettes while still allowing tobacco cigarettes to be sold everywhere. Suddenly, you realize that it's not about health. It's about profits and taxes and politics.

Always has been always will be. $$$$$= Power Power=Control over lowly serfs

 

[Leio]

AIDUCE Petition is closed

39324 sign in

The "game" is just opening you still can support Aiduce, EFVI, vap_in_liberty & others actions.