Monday 23 June 2014

Letter to MP

Dear Mr Coaker,
Further to our previous correspondence, I am disappointed to see Andy Burnham's stance on E-cigarettes (as guided by his 14 year old son) in approaching them as a threat to be stamped out and deciding they are definitively a gateway to smoking. He is wrong on both counts and just proving himself absurd and clueless.
Your party needs to consider this issue much more closely. It is reported there are approx 2 million vapers in the UK now, I suspect this is widely innaccurate and there are significantly more. A progresive and supportive policy on vaping will win you votes and draconian statements and unfounded policies could easily cost you the election. Vapers tend to be tech savvy and are  uniting to defend what we know to be a significant health benefit that is saving our lives. So think of losing a solid block of over 2 million votes.....
I do not believe anyone in the vaping community is anti-regulation to ensure quality of product or further research to confirm (or contradict) the facts that vaping is saving lives and harmless (in real terms).
You sent a flyer to my house asking what I consider the biggest issues. Well for me saving lives and encouraging small business would be high on the list and vaping does both. I urge you to take a more active role in this debate. Not only are lives at stake but votes are too - I'm never sure which is more important to politicians.
And a word of advice, if you do care to research this in any detail you will be able to find reports telling you any side of the argument. Much of the anti vaping being backed by large pharmaceutical companies who stand to lose out on their failed NRT products or tobacco who are slowly giving in and joining the revolution. A number of others cloud the issue with any number of side matters or minutae that draw you away from the major point - these products stop people dying of cancer from cigarettes. A policy positively supporting vaping as a gateway out of smoking can only benefit smokers and if you think about it if 11 year olds were to be trying e-cigs rather than cigarettes they should be applauded for making the better choice.
Vaping does not 're-normalise' smoking, it normalises vaping which is a distinct and unique hobby. Vaping is not a gateway to smoking, it is a gatway from smoking (anyone who has tasted both will concur). In conclusion, Vaping is not the problem, it's the solution. If you want my vote then Mr Burnham needs to be educated.
Yours sincerely,