Cigarettes that stop burning within two minutes of being put down are to replace conventional brands in an attempt to reduce the number of casualties from fires started by smouldering butts.
The European Commission is to ban traditional cigarettes by 2009 10, forcing smokers to buy ‘fire safe’ cigarettes that need constant drags to keep them alight.
Arlene McCarthy, a British Labour member of the European Parliament and chair of its consumer protection committee, said ‘It’s very good news. It will save lives. At the moment some people come home, have had a few drinks, fall asleep on the sofa with a cigarette in their hand, it falls on to flammable material and the next thing you know you’ve got a fire. Fire safe cigarettes greatly reduce the risk of that happening.’
McCarthy admitted it may prove unpopular among Britain’s 10 million smokers. ‘Some smokers have said that they felt it would interfere with their smoking experience, but as long as you are smoking the cigarette and drawing on it, it will stay lit. The sensation for the smoker will be no different. But the safety effect will be massive.’
New tobacco directive turns blind eye on e-cigarettes
Premium e cigarettes leading e cigarette brand
This information held in this article is incorrect.
It states ” The compromise stipulates that e cigarettes will be considered like regular tobacco products if they contain nicotine in a concentration of more than 20 mg/ml.”
In actual fact it states only Ecigarettes of 20mg/ml and below will be allowed on the market and will be treated like tobacco but with more severe restraints on the ability to speak about them. In actual fact the proposal directly denies the freedom of speech on them in as much as all forms of communication whether public or private, industry led or consumer led will be prohibited by law if it speaks favourably about them.
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5. Member States shall ensure that
a) commercial communications with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers are prohibited in information society services as defined in Article 1(2) of Directive 98/48/EC, in the press and other printed publications, with the exception of publications that are intended exclusively for professionals in the trade of the products and for publications which are printed and published in third countries, where those publications are not principally intended for the European Union market
b) commercial communications with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers are prohibited in the radio
c) any form of public or private contribution to radio programmes with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers is prohibited
d) any form of public or private contribution to any event, activity or individual with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes and refill containers and involving or taking place in several Member States or otherwise having cross border effects is prohibited
e) audiovisual commercial communications falling under Directive 2010/13/EU are prohibited for electronic cigarettes and refill containers
f) cross border distance sales of electronic cigarettes and refill containers are regulated in accordance with Article 16.
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In allowing freedom of speech on virtually every substance, political opinion and activity known to man, we are able to promote democracy, freedom and equal rights to all.
By denying that right to anyone who uses or advocates using Electronic cigarettes which have not harmed a single human being and are regarded by many public health advocates as a potential public health game changer the EU is denying the human rights of millions of European citizens.
Anyone who supports this is selling human rights to freedom of speech down the river.