E-Cigarettes And The Tobacco Products Directive

EDM number 115 in 2016-17, proposed by Norman Lamb on 26/05/2016.
Categorised under the topic of Smoking.

That this House affirms the enormous potential benefits to public health of e-cigarettes, or vaping, as an aid to smoking cessation; acknowledges the current best estimate, accepted by Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians, that e-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking tobacco; further acknowledges the lack of evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes act as a gateway into smoking for children and non-smokers; notes that the European Commission's Tobacco Products Directive prohibits most forms of advertising for e-cigarettes, which would hinder the promotion of e-cigarettes as a way of assisting smokers to stop smoking tobacco; is deeply concerned that this is likely to undermine efforts to discourage people from smoking cigarettes, particularly in light of evidence that nearly half of the population do not currently realise that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than tobacco; also notes concerns that, due to restrictions on maximum nicotine concentrations and refill container and tank sizes, and a subsequent reduction of choice of vaping products, there is a risk that some vapers will revert back to smoking; supports regulation of the vaping industry that is proportionate to the risks and potential benefits of e-cigarettes; and calls on the Government to withdraw the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 and to encourage the European Commission to propose amendments to the Tobacco Products Directive at the earliest opportunity.

This motion has been signed by a total of 9 MPs.