Tobacco Products Directive: one more chance to influence UK government

We need your support - again.

Forest's No Thank EU website has been updated and it now reads:

On October 8th 2013 MEPs voted to ban menthol cigarettes, prohibit ten packs, outlaw pouches of hand rolling tobacco below 20g, and increase the size of health warnings to cover 65 per cent of the pack or pouch.

The European Parliament, the European Commission and government ministers from the 28 member states are now negotiating the final text of the Tobacco Products Directive. It is still possible to influence the outcome but you MUST make your voice heard NOW.

Even if you have written to your MP already, please write again asking them to raise your concerns with the ministers representing the UK government in the current negotiations.

To help you we have drafted a NEW letter and with your permission we will email it to your MP on your behalf.

With your permission we will also send a copy to the relevant government ministers. We will advise them it is "for information only" and you don’t expect a reply. Finally, if you have not already done so, please sign our online petition.

The new letter to MPs reads:

On October 8th members of the European Parliament voted to ban menthol cigarettes, ten packs and pouches of roll your own tobacco under 20g.

As one of your constituents I am writing to express my strong opposition to measures that will restrict choice with little evidence they will improve public health.

I hope you agree with me that the EU should not dictate the flavour of tobacco or the size of pack available to consumers in the UK. Ten packs, for example, are often purchased by adults for reasons of economy or because they are trying to reduce their consumption.

If the revised Tobacco Products Directive is introduced in its current form it could also have serious consequences for retailers in Britain, many of who will lose business as outlawed products are sold on the black market.

The European Parliament, the European Commission and government ministers from the 28 member states are now in negotiation over the final text so it is not too late for the UK Government to influence the outcome.

I would be grateful if you would raise this issue as a matter of urgency with Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, and public health minister Jane Ellison.

Many of you will have written to your MP/MEPs before the vote on October 8 and you may have received a discouraging reply.

Nevertheless we cannot allow the TPD to become law without doing everything we can to dissuade the UK government from supporting it in its current form.

So, please send the new letter to your MP and give us permission to copy it to the relevant UK government ministers.

If you sent the original campaign letter I'm afraid you will have to enter your contact details again but it takes less than a minute.

Over to you.