Rebecca Taylor MEP: Medicinal regulation avoided but fight for ecigs not over yet

Liberal Democrat MEP and Health Spokeswoman in the European Parliament Rebecca Taylor welcomed the fact that mandatory medicinal regulation of electronic cigarettes was rejected in negotiations on the EU Tobacco Products Directive, but expressed her disappointment over some aspects of the outcome.

Rebecca Taylor commented:

“Significant ground had been won in the rejection of Europe-wide medicines licensing. But the decision to potentially ban refillable cartridges and devices in future would be a backward step.

“Second and third generation e-cigarette devices, which are used by around 80% of long term e-cigarette consumers, allow users to mix and match their desired flavours and nicotine strengths. They are a key part of what attracts someone to quit smoking tobacco and switch to e-cigarettes and to stick to vaping rather than go back to smoking.

“Unless manufacturers are able to adapt their products to accommodate disposable cartridges, I worry that a substantial number of e-cigarette users may be pushed back to tobacco, which is the exact opposite of what the tobacco directive is supposed to achieve.

“The fight is now on to show that it would not be justifiable to ban refillable cartridges on health and safety grounds.”

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4 Responses to Rebecca Taylor MEP: Medicinal regulation avoided but fight for ecigs not over yet

  1. Fergus Mason says:

    If the Commission have left themselves the ability to ban effective e-cigs they WILL ban them. There are various other unacceptable aspects of this so-called “compromise,” too. The nicotine limit is far too low and the ability of member states to impose arbitrary restrictions is a recipe for disaster (and smuggling.)

    It’s time to stop trying to bash e-cigs until they fit in the tobacco directive, sit down with the evidence and develop a proper, SCIENCE BASED framework for them. And it must be done without meddling by pharma lobbyists and, especially, “public health” advocates. They’re not promoting public health; it’s become all too obvious that they’re pushing an ideology.

  2. AdamN says:

    Hi Rebecca,

    Thank you for all you have done so far, it’s very much appreciated.

    Can you confirm that in the new proposal it allows member states to implement medicines regulations if they still wish to? This has just been reported in the Guardian and if true it would surely mean that med regs have not been defeated.

    http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/dec/17/refillable-electronic-cigarettes-face-eu-ban

  3. Gazza says:

    Just received an email from Chris Davies explaining the details.

    Thanks for all the hard work over the last year. It would have been much worse for us if it wasn’t for you Chris and Frederique.

    Sorry to hear you’re going, you’re one of the good’uns.

    Good luck
    Gareth

  4. stephen downs says:

    Please read this http://www.ecigarette-research.com/web/index.php/2013-04-07-09-50-07/149-tpd-errors Most of the evidence given to the EU MEPS was misinterpreted for some strange reason. Article 18 should now be removed or I can see legal action being taken by the Vendors.

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