Please respond to the UK government’s open consultation for the review of the legislation which applies to vaping products. Brexit gives us an opportunity to diverge from the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) and it is crucial that we consumers tell the government what changes we want. We have lived with the consequences of the TPD, no one knows better than us!
This is an easy and quick consultation to do, as there are only 6 questions which relate to safer nicotine products. The consultation ends on 19 March.
LINK TO THE CONSULTATION:
Tobacco and related products legislation introduced between 2015 to 2016: reviewing effectiveness
Here are the questions which relate to safer nicotine products:
Questions 6 to 9 relate to vaping:
Question 10 relates to heated tobacco products:
And, lastly, Question 13 gives an opportunity to raise issues not covered in the other questions (NNA will use this space to say that the sale of snus should be legalised in the UK):
On the consultation page the government says that “there is opportunity to consider, in the future, further regulatory changes that help people quit smoking and address the harms from tobacco.”. In NNA’s submission we will call for future legislation to distinguish between combustible and non combustible products - i.e between products which are very harmful (cigarettes) and those which are significantly less harmful (vaping products, snus, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products). The experience of snus - a pasteurised oral tobacco product which is far less risky to health than smoking - shows us that the current distinction between tobacco and non tobacco products does not benefit health.
In September we wrote to the government to suggest post-Brexit tobacco and nicotine policy reforms. Our letter might be useful to read when considering points to include in your consultation response:
NNA writes to the UK government suggesting post-Brexit reforms
Please also look at this excellent guide from We Vape on how to respond to the consultation:
UK Government consultation on vaping & related tobacco products
Do take some time out of your day to respond to this - and please let us know how you get on.
