The TPD Consultation
The Department of Health seeks views on draft regulations on implementing the revised EU Tobacco Products Directive.
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by Dave Cross
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By their own admission, the UK government has flexibility in how the new rules will be implemented. The consultation period is intended to feed into the decision making process. Some may question if the thoughts of small manufacturers and vendors (who make up the bulk of the market), or vapers themselves, will be taken into consideration?
Vapers in Power, the single-issue political party, has reacted with concern. “VIP is anxious that the MHRA is fully aware of the importance of vaping in the reduction of smoking in Britain, and concerned that heavy handed regulation of e-cigarettes will drive vapers back to smoking,” they write on their website. “Properly considered regulation will recognise the vital role played by this country's rapidly developing e-cigarette manufacturers and importers, rather than handing control back to the Pharmaceutical and Tobacco industries whose interests in the matter hardly coincide with those who are trying to quit smoking.”
The New Nicotine Alliance offers the opinion that Article 20 of the TPD is a “dog’s dinner” in an update titled “Has the fox been appointed guardian of the hen house?” They point out: “Within the text of the consultation documents the MHRA has been named as the competent authority and regulator for e-cigarettes which fall under the TPD. This is of concern because the MHRA's [Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency] track record in this area has not been good, having twice attempted to pull them into prohibitively expensive and overly burdensome medicines regulation.”
Writing on his Counterfactual blog, vaping advocate Clive Bates explains how the MHRA’s track record bodes ill: “If we regulate to have the safest and most precisely calibrated nicotine delivery devices, but smokers do not wish to use them then we will not have achieved anything for public health.”
Bates refers to a press release published in the journal Addiction, authored by Professor Robert West. In it, West expands on his research to state: “People attempting to quit smoking without professional help are approximately 60% more likely to report succeeding if they use e-cigarettes than if they use willpower alone or over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum.” It amplifies how successful ecigs are as a quit tool compared to the NRT products favoured by the MHRA.
The professor continues: “E-cigarettes could substantially improve public health because of their widespread appeal and the huge health gains associated with stopping smoking.”
Vapers can take part in the consultation process and are encouraged to do so. An online form can be found to complete here.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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