A very big thank you to everyone who said No Thank EU!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 0:14 Thanks to everyone who has supported Forest's No Thank EU campaign against revisions to the Tobacco Products Directive.
The campaign was launched at the end of July and it's been a roller coaster ever since. We've overcome all sorts of technical gremlins and here's the result:
THUMBS DOWN FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS DIRECTIVE
Proposals to ban menthol cigarettes, increase the size of health warnings and prohibit smaller packs of roll your own tobacco have received a firm thumbs down from thousands of consumers throughout the United Kingdom.
Ahead of the European Parliament vote on revisions to the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), the smokers’ group Forest has revealed that its No Thank EU campaign generated almost 45,000 letters to MPs and MEPs.
According to Forest 44,675 letters were emailed to politicians in Westminster and Brussels; 6,769 to MPs and 37,906 to UK MEPs.
Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: “The response to our campaign highlights how strongly people feel about these illiberal and potentially irresponsible measures.
“There is no evidence the Directive will reduce smoking rates among children and every chance it will encourage illicit trade. Meanwhile law-abiding adults will be prohibited from buying products they have purchased and enjoyed for many years.”
Forest campaigns manager Angela Harbutt added: “The biggest issue we faced was lack of public awareness of the EU’s plans. We estimate that three quarters of the ten million smokers in the UK are completely in the dark about the proposals. When consumers were told about them they were furious and only too happy to write to their elected representatives.”
Meanwhile, in Strasbourg today, MEPs will finally vote on the Directive following last month's postponement.
I kid you not but there are 198 amendments. God knows how things will pan out but I'll post here as soon as there is something to report.
Watch this space.
Reader Comments (3)
The biggest issue we faced was lack of public awareness of the EU’s plans. We estimate that three quarters of the ten million smokers in the UK are completely in the dark about the proposals.
And therein lies the biggest problem. There's been barely a squeak about it in the MSM, and obviously if people are uninformed then they have no chance to respond. For most people, this will be sprung on them completely out of the blue, and it will be fait accompli for Tobacco Control. The whole issue stinks to high heaven. Westminster heads should roll for this bit of infamy. And Soubry's should be the first.
Well done Angela and Forest. Thank EU. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
Despite the backroom dealings by NAnna Soubry and her puppet master Andrew Black, plus the covert support from her lying cheating Govt, common sense and fairness has prevailed.
I wonder how they will attack us next time in their bid to bring down the tobacco industry?
Shame the vapers let tobacco consumers down by denigrating their product to save their own skin. When the EU revisits this again - as it will when the fuss dies down - they can't expect tobacco consumers to help. We won't.
It's the poor and the vulnerable targeted again by the directive but as long as they can suck on their nicotine they don't give a toss.
In the words of anti-smokers ; "selfish addicts"