UK in or UK out?

On the 23 of June UK voters will be asked to cast a ballot that will decide if Britain should remain part of the European Union or once again, just as it has done through most of its history, stand alone as a sovereign nation.

There are many complicated issues involved in this decision that range from immigration to trade rights and the TTIP but for us as vapers, the overwhelming issue is the EU's TPD (Tobacco Products Directive) that will come into force on 'Black Friday' May 20th.

The TPD's Impact on the E-Cig Industry

While the visible impact on the country's consumers is felt to be minimal as is often the case, it is what is not immediately apparent that should be of major concern.

Latest estimates by the British Government are that domestic electronic cigarette companies will have to spend approximately £1.3 million to comply with the revised TPD and industry leaders have openly stated that they believe it will cost them £988 million simply to comply with the new paperwork regulations that will also come into force.

What This Means to British Citizens

What this means for the British consumer is that prices will have to be increased. Suppliers of vaping products will have no choice but to do this in their efforts to cope with the extra expenses these new legislations have created if they are to stay in business.

Beyond the economic impact though is the effect it could have on the health of our citizens. To quote directly from David Cameron's speech to the House of Commons last December when discussing the report that 1 million Brits had quit (smoking) by vaping:

"Yet despite this stunning public health achievement, we are heading to the TPD Disaster starting on Black Friday."

And Clive Bates was quoted as saying, that the revised EU TPD governing electronic cigarette regulation was a:

". . .catalogue of poorly designed, disproportionate and discriminatory measures that will achieve nothing useful but do a great deal of harm".

Where do you stand on the Britex issue? Let us know.