Reactions To #EUEcigBan And ... Farage The Vaper?

Last night's EU 'deal' on e-cigs is still not set in stone, but it's interesting to see the differing reactions from the serious parties (I exclude Labour and the Greens from this because they are astoundingly ignorant on the matter).

Lib Dem Chris Davies seems to be largely happy!

Remember that we started off with the European Commission insisting that e-cigs should be classified as pharmaceuticals, and subject to expensive approval procedures and a host of regulations and restrictions in different countries. 

Almost all governments backed this stance.

So although the European Parliament voted for a different approach MEPs have had an uphill battle to get their wishes accepted. 

The deal negotiated between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers is not perfect (they never are). I would have preferred to see less regulation on concentrations and volumes, but when compared to the initial proposals I think our negotiating team have done a fantastic job.

Hmm, debatable.

For example, my own e-cig would be banned, as would the liquid I use and the bottles I buy it in. I would also not be able to mix my own liquid, and others who haven't yet found out about vaping would have trouble knowing much about it since "advertising will also be severely restricted". Apart from that, it's a stonking result!

Martin Callanan of the Conservatives is more forthright.

“This is a perverse decision that risks sending more people back to real, more harmful, cigarettes. 

“Refillable e-cigarettes would almost certainly be banned, and only the weakest products will be generally available. As many smokers begin on stronger e-cigs and gradually reduce their dosage, making stronger e-cigs harder to come across will encourage smokers to stay on tobacco. 

“E-cigarettes have helped people give up tobacco. They are not completely safe and they may need regulation but they are a great deal safer than cigarettes and this agreement will make them harder for smokers to obtain. 

“The fight is not over. National governments and the parliament plenary must still endorse this deal. We will continue to fight for sensible and proportionate regulation of e-cigarettes. 

“The EU keeps talking the talk on producing more sensible legislation. This legislation shows it clearly isn’t walking the walk. Thousands of e-cigs users have contacted me, and I will keep fighting for them until the last minute.”

Bravo!

While Ukip seem to have trumped the lot. Not just with an unequivocal condemnation ...

“This will lead to another ridiculous ban from the EU on the majority of e-cigarettes which are better for the health of smokers and for British manufacturers of e-cigarettes. 

“The EU should not be putting restrictions on a safer alternative to smoking. 

“E-cigarettes have been a lifeline for many people but this agreement will have the draconian effect of driving more 'vapers'* back to full tobacco cigarettes. 

“While the EU talks about guaranteeing direct subsidies to European tobacco growers from the EU budget, I suspect it also has its beady eye on the loss of tax revenues to national governments as people switch from tobacco to electronic cigarettes. 

“If the EU was truly interested in people’s health it would be helping to popularise rather than restrict e-cigarettes.”

... but also with a video of Farage admitting that even his 'incorrigible' smoking self could be tempted!

Nige the vaper? Please no!

Still, it would be churlish to set one against the other too much seeing as they have all - in their own way - admirably resisted disgraceful attempts by the tobacco control industry and their well-funded allies to destroy e-cigs.

It's rather more telling that the only factions desperately scrambling to protect Big Pharma and Big Tobacco profits on this issue are ... big industry-hating Labour and the Greens.

Says a lot, that.