While we re in the US, patiently waiting for the FDA to release their pending regulations on ecigarettes, the EU is moving full speed ahead. On February 26, 2014, the European Parliament formally ratified the revised Tobacco Products Directive, which governs the manufacture, presentation, advertisement and sale of tobacco products (now including e cigs) in the European Union.

It s been a long road for ecigarettes in the EU but, things are about to start shifting. Once the Council of Ministers adopts the revised directive, the new rules will come into effect this should happen by May 2014.

This is a victory, said Linda McAvan, the rapporteur who led negotiations and is a current member of the European Parliament, The original proposal was stricter, and I would have voted for that, but the new law is anyway a huge step forward in tobacco control, she added.

What does this mean for ecigarettes? We compiled a detailed list of the new rules that relate to e cigs

These rules only apply to products that contain nicotine
There will be a maximum nicotine concentration level for all e liquid products
There will be a maximum volume of e liquid within any container, including flavor cartridges, bottles and tanks
E liquid containers (including flavor cartridges, bottles and tanks) must be child and tamper proof, and they must be protected against leakage
E liquid manufacturers will be required to disclose all included ingredients and their concentrations, and comply with specific quality standards
Nicotine delivery must be consistent (each puff should deliver roughly the same amount of nicotine as the last)
Packaging must include health warnings and information about the addictiveness and toxicity of nicotine
Packaging must include a list of all ingredients in the e liquid, as well as information about the nicotine content
Advertising restrictions for tobacco products will also apply to ecigarettes
Ecigarettes will not be classified as medicines or marketed as tools for smoking cessation they will remain consumer tobacco products

Additionally, electronic cigarette manufacturers will have to report annual sales and customer data to EU Member States allowing policymakers to monitor new developments in the industry. A press release from the European Commission stated, The information collected will provide a good overview of what additional legislative action, if any, is required for e cigarettes , and the Commission will revisit the issue if necessary. Future revisions aren t out of the question.

According to the New York Times Editorial Board,

These rules strike a good balance. Smokers who want to switch to electronic cigarettes will still be able to do so with the knowledge that the devices are not contaminated and do not contain excessive, harmful doses of nicotine. At the same time, the marketing restrictions should make it less likely that they will be used by children.

We couldn t have said it better. At V2 Cigs , we take pride in our high standards for quality control and responsible manufacturing. Our published lists of e liquid ingredients are available for download on our website. We are members of the We Card program and actively enforce age requirements, both online and in all retail locations. To put it simply, we look forward to whatever regulatory decisions the FDA hands down hopeful that our rigorous self regulation will one day be the rule, not the exception.

Want the rest of the story? Click here to read about the October negotiations and here to learn about the follow up in December.

You can also read a list of mythbusters about the new electronic cigarette legislation (created by the European Commission)

You know we ll keep you updated of any new happenings! What do you think of the EU s decision to regulate ecigarettes?

Why do so many europeans smoke cigarettes? (life, country, dangerous) — city-data forum

02 06 2009, 04 04 AM califantastic 333 posts, read 1,068,439 times Reputation 222 Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes?

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Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes?

Whenever I travel in Europe I am always amazed by the extremely high percentage of Europeans that smoke cigarettes. This seems strange to me considering that people in Europe tend to be better educated and more affluent that people in many other parts of the world. I would think that the more educated and affluent a person is the less likely they would be to smoke. But this is clearly not the case in Europe.

A couple explanations I thought of Herd behavior (people in Europe smoke because everyone else does), Europeans do not care as much about their health, they are more concerned with enjoying themselves than living a long healthy life.

If you have any opinion or insights into why such a high percentage of Europeans smoke please let me know your thoughts.
02 06 2009, 05 20 AM pigeonhole 3,694 posts, read 4,741,016 times Reputation 2199 Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes ?

Because they are STUPID

(from an European who doesn’t smoke cigarettes, only reefers in my salad days…) 02 06 2009, 06 01 AM Scotslass Location Axarquнa, Andalucнa, Spain 2,945 posts, read 4,758,723 times Reputation 1663 As Europe is a continent it depends which country you go to rather than «tarring the whole continent with the same brush» Spain, Italy, France has alot of smokers compared to here.

But you’ll find that not everyone smokes. I myself am disgusted by smoking and would never ever try it. 02 06 2009, 08 01 AM acrylic Location AZ 1,379 posts, read 2,409,785 times Reputation 622 Lots of people in former Yugoslavia smoke. It’s quite saddening. I’ve told a couple of them about how bad it is, and they get so mad and defensive. Including my mom. sigh 02 06 2009, 05 42 PM BRAZILIAN Location Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 568 posts, read 697,817 times Reputation 370 Quote Originally Posted by pigeonhole Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes ?

Because they are STUPID

(from an European who doesn’t smoke cigarettes, only reefers in my salad days…) Why stupids my friend? I am not european but I am cigarettes’ smoker and I don’t feel a stupid.
I think smoke cigarettes is less dangerous than
Drive high speed
Parachutes
Bung jump
Radical sports
Smell diesel smoke
Heavy traffic
Air pollution, water pollution
Live near nuclear plant
Walk at night (or day) some cities streets
Fire guns
Politicians
Political economist
Etc…, Etc…
How you can see, have many, many things very much dangerous in the world than Smoke Cigarette. 02 06 2009, 06 27 PM acrylic Location AZ 1,379 posts, read 2,409,785 times Reputation 622 Quote Originally Posted by BRAZILIAN Why stupids my friend? I am not european but I am cigarettes’ smoker and I don’t feel a stupid.
I think smoke cigarettes is less dangerous than
Drive high speed
Parachutes
Bung jump
Radical sports
Smell diesel smoke
Heavy traffic
Air pollution, water pollution
Live near nuclear plant
Walk at night (or day) some cities streets
Fire guns
Politicians
Political economist
Etc…, Etc…
How you can see, have many, many things very much dangerous in the world than Smoke Cigarette. Hmm. No.

You’ll see… it doesn’t per say affect you right away, but when it does, it’ll be a lot worse than sitting in heavy traffic, firing a gun, or anything to do with a politician. You’re just killing yourself slowly. 02 06 2009, 07 17 PM green mariner 24,523 posts, read 19,525,796 times Reputation 6835 I don’t know if this is the case for Europe as a whole, but I read about a case in Germany. It isn’t so much that Americans smoke less than Europeans, but in the USA, smoking in public is frowned upon, but in Europe, smoking in public is accepted, therefore, people will smoke in cafes and the restaurants. 02 06 2009, 07 35 PM K Luv Location Maryland not Murlin 7,156 posts, read 13,096,603 times Reputation 4309 Quote Originally Posted by califantastic Why do so many Europeans smoke cigarettes? Why are Californians so obsessed with health even though they live in one of the most polluted states?

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic Whenever I travel in Europe I am always amazed by the extremely high percentage of Europeans that smoke cigarettes. This seems strange to me considering that people in Europe tend to be better educated and more affluent that people in many other parts of the world. I would think that the more educated and affluent a person is the less likely they would be to smoke. But this is clearly not the case in Europe. The few times that I have been to Europe I didn’t notice an excessive amount of smokers, even when I was in France and Italy. Yes, I saw many smokers, but not any more than I see in the states. The reason why so many Europeans smoke is that it is relatively socially acceptable, and unlike the US, most Europeans do like to have the government tell them how to live, let alone some health nut. Besides, if two world wars, numerous smaller wars and countless uprisings/revolutions were waged in your front yard, back yard and living room, you might be a little bit more relaxed with the idea of smoking. Anyways, to answer your question it is a cultural thing just like how in the South (US) they love to eat excessive amounts of fried and greasy food.

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic A couple explanations I thought of Herd behavior (people in Europe smoke because everyone else does), Europeans do not care as much about their health, they are more concerned with enjoying themselves than living a long healthy life. Herd behavior? That is a pretty ignorant statement.

There is an old George Carlin joke that goes, Eat right, stay fit, and die anyways. A good friend of mine watched his dad pass away of cancer a few years ago. His old man was only in his fifties, eat healthy, played racquet ball a few times a week, never smoked, and blah blah blah. If you are concerned about the ill effects of smoking then I suggest that you do not live in a city. Aside from the general amount of pollutants in the air, car exhaust is just as carcinogenic as cigarets and diesel exhaust contains the most highly carcinogenic substance known to man. Just breathing city air is the equivalent of smoking at least half a pack a day.

Quote Originally Posted by califantastic If you have any opinion or insights into why such a high percentage of Europeans smoke please let me know your thoughts. My thoughts are that Europeans do not smoke any more than anyone else. It is a stereotype and a generalization. 02 06 2009, 09 52 PM orangeapple Location Southern California 2,883 posts, read 4,082,791 times Reputation 3656 There’s some overly defensive smokers in denial in this thread 02 06 2009, 10 03 PM Greatday Location Pinal County, Arizona 25,105 posts, read 22,497,603 times Reputation 4788 I might add that MANY Asians also smoke cigarettes. As do Russians. As do many in South America and Africa. Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

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