I have added a new link to the sidebar to the right which I hope you will all consider clicking through and signing (and sharing widely).The European Free Vaping Intiative is a clever Europe-wide attempt to force the EU to rethink their dumb and counter-productive stance on e-cigs.
We've heard weasel words from the tobacco control industry about how they believe e-cigs are useful but that, you know, they just need a teensy-weensy bit of regulation, that's all. Well, as I've mentioned previously, the terms of the TPD are not just a little bit of regulation - instead, they will ban all of the most effective forms of vaping and only leave the
It's the result of stunning ignorance on the part of the EU - fomented by rent-seeking tobacco control industry lobbyists, natch - and it is this ignorance that the EFVI seeks to redress.
Before you go all glassy-eyed, this is NOT a petition. As I understand it, EU rules state that if a movement collects a million signatures from EU member states, with at least seven reaching a threshold based on percentage of overall population, the EU will be compelled to listen to further evidence on the subject from those behind the initiative.
Considering that the EU reacted to the revolutionary phenomenon of e-cigs in the cack-handed and illiterate way that they did, they sure as shit need to be given a stiff talking to by people who - unlike the politicians and wonks in Brussels - actually know something about the subject, so this is a worthy cause.
Don't believe me? Well, why not take it from a sleb, 'cos Channel 4's resident Doc is on board.
GLADLY! @MattGluggles: @DoctorChristian can u RT http://t.co/leuh1dAQqA ? If we get 1mill sigs then EU MUST look again at #ecig restrictions
— Dr Christian Jessen (@DoctorChristian) March 2, 2014
The signatures need to be collected by November 25th this year, so there is plenty of time to get the word around, but the earlier it is signed and shared the more people may see it in time.
The UK's targeted quota is 54,750 signatures, of which just under 10% have been collected as I write. Finland and Germany are already well on schedule to reach their targets as can be seen from regularly updated progress statistics here. And here's a heads up to Irish fellow jewel robbers. You only have 191 of a required 9,000 so get moving will ya'? I reckon it wouldn't take more than a couple of porter-fuelled weekends in Temple Bar to have it done and dusted, for Chrissakes!
You can read all about the initiative here or, if you're in a hurry, the shortened version here. You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter.
But mainly, please add your signature and also encourage others to do the same whether it be by word of mouth, email, website, blog, noticeboard, loudhailer, smoke signals, pigeon post, Chinese whispers, nudge-nudge-wink-wink or global syndicated TV show.
You don't need to be a smoker or vaper, just an EU citizen who would like - at least this once - for the EU to have their daft, unthinking rules exposed and challenged for the objectionable nonsense that they are.
Now wouldn't that be a thing, eh?
UPDATE: Via Beki, here's another way of getting the word out. Print off some of these and just, I dunno, leave them lying around where random strangers with a smartphone might find them.
