We, representing the 7.5 million people in the European Union, who have quit smoking completely with safer nicotine products like the e-cigarette, are concerned about the lack of knowledge about e-cigarettes in some European governments and the European Commission, and their attitude towards users of e-cigarettes. Despite overwhelming evidence that the e-cigarette is far less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and despite the fact that the e-cigarette is the most widely used smoking cessation tool in Europe, more and more European countries are pushing for stricter regulations that will discourage e-cigarette use and thereby protect cigarette sales. The European Commission also seems to support stricter regulation of e-cigarettes, as outlined in the Europe Beats Cancer Plan. With these developments, smokers are increasingly being denied an effective means of cessation. We therefore call on the European governments and the European Commission to:

-  Encourage smokers to quit, and encourage smokers who are unable to quit by other means to switch to less harmful alternatives such as the e-cigarette: as a cessation tool and as a substantially less harmful alternative

-  Reject measures that reduce the affordability (taxes), acceptability (‘flavour’ bans and arbitrary nicotine caps) and access to less harmful alternatives such as the e-cigarette

-  Reject stigma toward smokers and ex-smokers who use safer nicotine vapes (“e-cigarettes”), reject outdoor vaping bans because evidence shows that they have no public health rationale, and embrace the fact that all e-cigarette ads are anti-smoking ads

-  Engage with independent advocacy groups for ex-smokers/vapers, such as Acvoda or INNCO, and give us a “seat at the table” in research priority setting and the development of policies that affect us, and take note of the experiences of individual ex-smokers/vapers in quitting smoking

-  Promote public debate on the role of the e-cigarette in anti-smoking policies based on scientific evidence.

Sander Aspers, President Acvoda, the Dutch consumer organisation for e-cigarette users.

Samrat Chowdery, President INNCO Governing Board, International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations.