British MPs Alerted to Misinformation

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has issued a series of letters to Members of Parliament (MPs) to raise concerns over “misleading, incomplete, unsubstantiated, or incorrect” information, which the group says was presented to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee.

“We are writing to express our grave concerns at the quality and accuracy of some of the oral evidence presented to what turned out to be a mainly one-sided committee stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill,” the organization wrote to lawmakers.

“Because the evidence was mainly given by those who have spoken out against vaping in the past, it presented a very skewed message, which often conflated the legal compliant vape industry with the black market and frequently made no distinction between the tobacco and vaping industries.”

The UKVIA insisted that it did not intend to defeat, delay or circumvent the legislation. Rather, the trade group wants to ensure that when MPs consider the bill, they are doing so from an informed perspective. “In scrutinizing this bill, MPs must balance the rights and needs of adult smokers to have access to the very best products to help them quit, with those of young people to be protected from age-restricted products, including vaping,” the group wrote.

Alongside the letter, the UKVIA has also issued a report that reviews some of the evidence presented by those who were invited to speak during the committee stage of the bill.