Electronic cigarettes under threat

NEW EU rules could see popular electronic devices used by thousands of Dubliners to give up smoking disappear in a puff of smoke.

The rules are included in a new draft of the 11-year-old Tobacco Products Directive, which came into force before electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, hit the market.

And worryingly for e-cig users, who prefer the term vaping to smoking, the proposals could dramatically reduce the amount of nicotine allowed in the liquid used in their electronic devices.

EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg, says under the proposals all products with nicotine levels over a certain threshold would need approval through pharmaceutical legislation.

It’s understood that if the draft directive in its current form becomes law it would effect all e-cig liquids containing a nicotine level exceeding 2mg or a nicotine concentration of more than 4mg per ml.

There would also be a ban on liquids containing flavours like vanilla, coffee or apple that many vapers use as an alternative to those that taste of tobacco.

But Dubliners who have switched from smoking to vaping say the levels suggested in the new proposals would make e-cigs effectively useless as a method to quit smoking.

Graham Byrne, from Beneavin in Dublin 11, decided to quit his 40-a-day cigarette habit and switch to vaping two days before last December’s budget. The 39-year-old delivery driver had already tried several times to stop smoking using patches, gums, inhalers and even going cold turkey but had never managed more than a couple of days off cigarettes.

“I was smoking since I was about 16 and I was getting worried about my health,

? he said.

“I’ve two young kids and I’d be getting out of breath when I was playing with them.

“I was also spending over e100 a week on cigarettes and I’d wanted to stop for a while, but kept putting it off.

?

Graham found out about e-cigs through popular website Boards.ie where there’s a forum dedicated to vaping.

“Lots of people were recommending them so I decided to go for it,

? he continued.

“The first couple of days were a bit strange but I think that was just getting used to it. After that it was grand. Actually I can’t believe how easy it’s been. I’ve been socialising around loads of people smoking and it just doesn’t bother me.

“You could say it’s transformed my life. My breathing is much easier and I can play with the kids for longer and the wife says I’m not wheezing or coughing any more. It’s brilliant.

?

Graham was so pleased with the effectiveness of e-cigs that he recommended them to his mother, who is in her 60s and who has now also switched from smoking to vaping.

However, he’s concerned that the proposed EU directive will drive people like him back to cigarettes.

“I finally found something that works and now they want to ban it,

? he said.

“If they banned it I’d probably go back smoking.

?

Clontarf resident Alex Pescar, who runs the Ovale Ireland shop on Lower Gardiner Street in Dublin 1, believes Graham wouldn’t be the only former smoker who’d return to cigarettes if the new proposals are approved.

“We don’t know yet what exactly they will change but if they reduce the strength in the liquids to 4mg it won’t be strong enough to replace cigarettes for most people,

? he said.

“They won’t get the same satisfaction and I think most people who use electronic devices would go back smoking. We could also see liquids being sold on the black market.

?

Alex says the market in Ireland has grown significantly over the last year or so and estimates there are now thousands of Dubliners using e-cigs. He agrees that liquids should be standardised but believes this is something vendors can introduce themselves.

“A few Irish vendors got together before Christmas and we will meet again soon to see what we can do to improve the market for everybody and how we will respond to the proposed directive,

? he says.

“In my shop I only sell good quality liquids that have proper labelling and I think that if vendors work together we can come up with an agreed standardisation for products.

?

The proposals are expected to be put to the European Parliament and the European Council next year and if approved will come into effect from 2015 or 2016.