The Livery Newsletter and Gazette Issue 30 Spring 2019 | Page 21

Not understood Successes
But this is still not widely understood - misguided
regulation still surrounds vaping, snus and other
safer nicotine products. The NNA has had considerable success so far.
It advised the all-Party Parliamentary Group
The
lunch was deliciously
catered
by Mark
Grove
for E-cigarettes,
whose recent
report
attacked
and
his team at Cook
& Butler
cracked
“misinformation”
about
vaping and
and we
called
on
along
at
a
goodly
pace.
Our
guests
were
admirably
the Government to ensure that the public health
introduced
Liveryman
Morrison
and our
potential of by
vaping
is more Fran
widely
promoted.
Principal Guest, Tim Wonnacott gave a generous and
very humorous reply to which I responded initially
by drenching poor Tim in a glass of water - he was
very kind about it (sorry Tim!). I was very pleased
to show off the newly found Livery Grant of Arms
and Letters Patent which have been missing for many
years - our Clerk tenaciously sought them out, and
the new Immediate Past Master, Chris Allen, and his
IPM, Mark Gower-Smith have funded a beautiful re-
presentation and they are now resplendent in frames
carved with tobacco leaves (or close to); Sandra also
located a huge banner not seen since 1985 and Angus
Menzies, Clerk to the Master Mariners and never shy
of a challenge saw to it that it was displayed on the
Quarterdeck.
Martin says: “There is misunderstanding about
reduced harm products in many countries, and even
in the UK there’s still work to do. For example, the
EU has banned sales of snus, and we campaign for
the snus ban to be lifted. In the UK, while major
national health bodies understand reduced risk
products and are moving to a more enlightened
approach, vaping is still caught by workplace and
public smoking bans, bans in hospitals and pubs,
and advertising bans designed for smoking products.
And outside the UK, many countries simply ban
e-cigarettes altogether.”
NNA set-up
The NNA is a registered charity and strongly
independent; it is not linked to any political parties
or e-cigarette, tobacco or pharma companies. It is
funded by donations and consultancy work for health
bodies that accept reduced harm products, and is
run by its Trustees, supported by Associates. These
include scientists, smoking and tobacco researchers,
public health and policy analysts, and ‘laymen’ who
support reduced harm tobacco products and have
contributed to advocating for them.
Martin himself is a long-time campaigner for
individual freedom, and for several years has been
an active blogger against excessive ‘nanny state’
interference in our lifestyle choices. NNA Associates
include Clive Bates, a former scourge of tobacco
companies when running the anti-smoking group
ASH, who is now an influential advocate of reduced
harm nicotine products.
The NNA speaks at health conferences, briefs
media, parliamentarians and members of tobacco
control organisations, makes submissions to
public consultations, engages with members of
medical Royal Colleges, advises NHS bodies, health
organisations and owners of public venues, and puts
its messages and videos out on its website and social
media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs.
And it’s expanding - there are now NNAs in
Sweden, Australia and Estonia, one of the EU’s most
restrictive member states towards vaping.
Whilst all this was going on, apparently biblical-
style downpours were being had all over London
- oblivious to all that drama we ended our lunch
and trooped back to the quarterdeck where Coffee,
Cigars, and Cognac awaited us (I did mention that
our Livery enjoyed dining on the High C’s..) and
which seemed to hit the mark – Liveryman Jemma
Freeman had kindly provided the torpedo cigars
and had had them placed in souvenir tubes with our
Crest emblazoned on it. Several of us also sported
a limited edition Livery Smoking hat - originally
conceived
as a advised
sort of shooting
hat, it serves
its
The NNA also
the influential
Parliamentary
purpose and
so well
as a “team”
hat, that of
the twenty
Science
Technology
Committee,
whose
2018
ordered,
one remained
by the
of products
the day!
report
on but
e-cigarettes
and ‘heat
not close
burn’
Thank on
you the
to Government
the Master Mariners
for allowing
the
called
to consider
lifting the us EU
use of
venue,
Tim for
for “a being
perfect
ban
on the
snus,
and to
asked
wider a shift
to a Principal
more
Guest,
and
for
everyone
attending
and
giving
my
risk-proportionate regulatory environment; where
year such a special
start. rules and tax/duties reflect
regulations,
advertising
the evidence on the relative harms of the various
e-cigarette and tobacco products available”.
The Master
The Committee also criticised the fact many
businesses, public transport providers and owners
of public places ban e-cigarettes along with
conventional smoking. It said: “There is no public
health rationale for treating use of the two products
the same…there is now a need for a wider debate on
vaping
welcome
Designed by Daniel Pidcock on behalf of New Nicotine Alliance (UK), Registered Charity Number 1160481
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