Letter to your MP (UK)

[QuietDave]

I am preparing to send a letter to my MP to try and raise awareness of electronic cigarettes and the possible life-saving benefits. I also wish to raise concerns about the lack of regulation in how the consumables are produced. If anybody has any good points that would be worth adding, post them here. Once we have a good set of ideas it may be worth us all contacting our local MPs about this.

Currently the points I wish to get across are:

o Potential benefits of this brilliant invention - Could save many lives

o Could become socially acceptable (no second hand smoke etc.) and replace a large
proportion of traditional tobacco smoking, but this is at risk if rumoured plan to
ban e-cigarettes in pubs goes ahead.
In fact, I think it's important to not stigmatise/ostracise e-smokers from the get-go if
this device is to succeed in getting people off tobacco products.

o Thorough investigation into potential dangers of regularly inhaling vapourised propylene glycol is needed

o Regulation on supplied e-liquid and cartridges would be helpful.
As others have posted, I have a couple of bottles of e-liquid, with no labels, and nothing
indicating the ingredients at all. I have no idea how much nicotine is in either of them
(just that one is "medium" and the other is "strong"), and I don't know what other chemicals
it is mixed up with and whether they are safe or not.
I don't know how careful I need to be with regard to getting the liquid in my mouth, and all
over my hands, and what other risks there might be in keeping the stuff in my house.


Does anyone have any experience yet of discussing any of this with their MPs?
Are there any other points which would be worth bringing up?
Is anybody concerned with the possible outcome of trying to involve the goverment?
Does anybody have any suggestions for the best way to approach writing this kind of letter?

Cheers!

 

[Mr.Darcy]

this is a tricky one...
its a tightrope walk between the need for properly regulated ecigs and liquid,and the fear of bringing awareness of e-smoking to this nanny state government,which will--on past form anyway--probably just ban them entirely,or at least tax them heavily and place bans on using them in public places equivalent to the cigarette laws.

some pubs and clubs in the uk are already banning their use,because of the "impression they create"...a courthouse in holland recently banned e-cigs from use on court premises...i dont think most airlines appreciate their use...now,is this down to ignorance?or is it just easier to ban,rather than compromise...when ecigs become more mainstream,i fear their use will be restricted more,not less...

if i thought the government would take a rational,balanced view,and try to improve safety of use for us,while letting us continue to use our ecigs in public places where normal cigs cant be smoked,as they pose no risk to others-or at least let individual businesses decide if they allow esmoking or not,then fine..but i dont trust our government to deal fairly with this issue...

some think we need to lobby support before esmoking becomes more mainstream,and we certainly do need regulated,safe products...that will come with an inevitable cost...the waters are muddy for us im afraid,but one things for sure-this wont stay as underground as it presently is forever,so change is coming soon one way or another.

we need regulation,but we also want the freedom to esmoke where and when we like...i sure hope thats do-able...but i doubt it.
so im really at a loss as to what the best course of action should be...i think we all are.

 

[sanneke]

What does "MP" stand for?

 

[NerdyCinderella]

Mounted Police, no Military Police, nah.. Mamas & Papas

PS You beat me to the question sanneke - lol

 

[Mr.Darcy]

Member of Parliament...like a congressman

 

[NerdyCinderella]

 

[sanneke]

Mounted Police, no Military Police, nah.. Mamas & Papas

PS You beat me to the question sanneke - lol

LOL, cute guesses

 

[QuietDave]

we need regulation,but we also want the freedom to esmoke where and when we like...

Yep, those were my thoughts exactly. I will have to think about this, as you are right, we don't want them to just ban e-liquid etc. before these become mainstream.

I have a pretty good MP*, but normally I am writing to her about helping with global poverty or the environment. Not sure how she will feel about electronic cigarettes. It may be easy for people to just dismiss them as being for "dirty common smokers who we have no time for."

Perhaps I'll try and get a meeting rather than sending a letter and I can express my concerns in person.

I suppose I do have a bit of a mixed message just now which probably doesn't help. On one hand I want to say "Please help e-fags to be accepted and not banned from pubs and bars, etc. We need to create a positive image!" and then right after that I'm saying that they might be dangerous and we really need to regulate them. Hmm.
I guess I would go for the angle that they are clearly a lot better for people than tobacco cigarettes, lets just do what we can to make sure they are as safe as possible.


* Maker of Peas

 

[TropicalBob]

There are quite a few of us on this forum who are E-Smoke Sneaks.

We're "lanyard sippers" in public places. We would never think of whipping out a cigarette-lookalike and blowing vapor into shared air! Horrors. The wrath of The Antis will descend on such a foolish person. But we get our fix. We just make sure no one is watching. You can e-smoke in a theater by keeping the thing in a lanyard so the red light doesn't glow (and just hold in the vapor). I e-smoke in a lounge chair at my favorite book store. I e-smoke in public restrooms!!

In many ways, the e-cat is out of the e-bag. The problem now for public acceptance is that the things look like cursed tobacco devices. Note that Dr. Loi has gone so far as to invent a plastic tube so motorcycle riders in Malaysia can e-sip their e-cig while zooming down a road. If I have to, I'll invent more e-sip systems.

We have the (flawed) hardware. We know how to make liquid. E-smoking is a reality. The later the government gets involved, the better for us, even as we gamble with Chinese unknowns. If the devices just didn't fail so quickly, I'd stock up enough spare parts to last the rest of my life. But just how many atomizers would I need? :roll:

 

[Mr.Darcy]

personally,if it came to a choice,id rather continue to take my chances with the lack of regulation rather than face a ban.

i prefer to sneak a few hits through choice,rather than because i have to because its against the law...our government at the moment wont be reasoned with,as you know-remember the recent cannabis debacle?they ignored the expert panels opinions and did their own thing regardless...while im not directly comparing esmoking to cannabis,i think the same knee-jerk reaction will happen-it usually does these days...

in my opinion they'll smother e-smoking...and if they do,we'll probably end up back on the fags...so for now it might be better to keep quietdave(you see what i did there?)

 

[dnakr]

No doubt once our government gets involved we are all doomed.

I would rather sneak hits from my e-cig - then go outside and smoke a real one.

 

[TheEmperorOfIceCream]

I am that foolish person, TB!

I go out of my way to publicise this thing and puff it into shared air. Way I figure it, if I'm getting their halitosis, they can have my vapour. I can only see good results from it becoming well known. I should note that for me, good results are reliable devices and liquid of unquestionable provenance. This I think will follow greater awareness of the product. I know the gov will take a bite out of the collective e-smoking ... and it will probably be huge but I'm prepared for that (see it as the wages of my own stupidity in getting hooked on nic in the first place).

I'm even considering trying to get on Big Brother and taking a pen-style along with me. For those of you who don't know what BB is, lucky you. It's a reality show in Europe where horrible people are isolated in a house and mentally abuse each other over several weeks until only one is left. One of the organisers' tortures is to withhold cigarettes from the smokers in the house, or worse, let them have cigarettes but no lighter.

The show gets millions of viewers and e-cigs would undoubtedly get major exposure. Just don't know if endorsement from a Jade Goody clone would do us any good...

Emp

 

[elixir]

If you think big brother is not aware of the existence of the electronic cigarette here is a previous post of mine.

[FEB .2008 - After introducing the electronic cigarette to my web site http://www.elixirshop.com a couple of months ago I have heard nothing but praise from customers telling me how this product has helped them cut down or quit smoking. It warms the heart to think you are selling something that is doing people good.

Then this morning in my mail I receive a letter and a rather large publication from the MHRA (Medicine and Health product Regulatory Agency) stating they had received a complaint (anonymous of course) about the electronic cigarette.

They now require samples, advertising literature and a whole kit caboodle of stuff to consider the case.

In my opinion I am selling no more than an electronic nicotine inhaler, note you can sell nicotine inhaler legally in shops.

Am I the first, could this be the beginning of the end for the electronic cigarette in the UK?]

Since then and the MHRA insisting marketing modifications, I have been investigated by trading standards and they required some modifications to the product. I have now been told by trading standards that I can continue selling the electronic cigarettes pending a reply by the department of health who are investigating the product.

Don’t kid yourself they know, and the sh** could fly any time soon.

 

[TropicalBob]

Welcome back, Elixer. I was hoping you'd update your battles.

Sorry you're still a target of your government. Over here, the FDA is under so much pressure from all fronts that e-smoking remains off the radar. Still, I expect a Congressman to speak out, then launch an investigation that will ultimately involve the FDA, FCC, EPA, Customs, SAT, NCAA, NAACP and the National Rifle Association (who will study the issue and decline further involvement in order to pursue a handgun on every hip).

Do keep us posted, please.

 

[QuietDave]

I have kept schtum so far certainly. I do have worries that it might last longer if we keep it to ourselves, but as has been pointed out, that's not possible. People are going to find out. They sell these things on high profile websites like I Want One Of Those (where I first saw the e-cig).

If people are going to find out anyway, surely better to prime the folk in charge with all the good information first? I mean the concept is brilliant. Surely nobody can argue with the concept of a replacement for cigarettes that isn't bad for you, doesn't affect people around you, yet satisfies and is easy to switch to. We have to sell the concept first before we worry about the current (temporary) flaws.

As for the rules about selling them elixir, isn't it just if you try to claim that they will help you quit that you are breaking the rules, as they haven't been proven to help you quit? I've always thought that is completely the wrong angle to use anyway. I was talking excitedly about e-cigarettes to a couple of smokers who had already seen some of the advertised ones, and they were clearly under the impression that they were purely for helping you to quit. They both laughed and said to me why would you bother getting an e-cigarette, why not just stop smoking! I think the real selling point is that they are a much less dangerous replacement for cigarettes that allows you to keep smoking, and that's how I reckon people should market them anyway.

As far as public awareness is concerned I think it's a good thing. For a start, the more people that start using them, the quicker that reports of people dropping dead from PG inhalation will start coming! (Urm, or not, to give the more positive angle, which I guess is what we are hoping for!)

To be honest, if the department of health investigates them and decides that they aren't safe, I'd like to know about that, and I'll make the decision to not use them until they make one that is safe. I am of course kind of trusting them to make the right judgement based on how safe they are compared to smoking tobacco, not compared to, say, breathing!

It's a tough one, but perhaps it's time to spread the good word without mentioning the worrying stuff!

 

[jamie]

A small cadre of ashamed esmokers guarantees failure. Not saying the other will guarantee success, but I know what will guarantee failure. Folks need a horse in the race to push back. Businesses with a revenue increase will push back. Medical/Cessation folks with successful patients will push back. Ex-smokers on ecigs, and their happier families will push back.