Get involved
The time to act is now
We’re calling on vapers and other nicotine consumers to get in touch with candidates for the European Parliament through social media, so they know that there’s a huge community watching what they do to make sure safer nicotine products remain on the market.
But this could all be about to change if consumers get active during the EU elections.
From 6-9 June, Europeans will elect 720 Members of the European Parliament. About two-thirds of them will never have been an MEP before. If they aren’t told how important harm reduction is to the people who benefit from it now, it will be much harder to do so later!
It’s easy to connect with future MEPs online through Twitter, Facebook or email. You can use our Advocacy Guide to help figure out what to do. Our infographics make great content for tweets or other social media posts which mention prospective MEPs.
And you can get all of their social media handles here, using our candidate finder tool.
Campaign Essentials
WHAT?: Tell future MEPs how important harm reduction is to you.
WHY?: MEPs, who will be elected in June, will vote on new EU rules on whether to ban flavours or pouches.
WHAT CAN I DO?: Tweet at candidates in your country. Email them asking what their view on harm reduction is and putting your point of view. Sign the WVA petition to the new European Parliament.
CTA RESOURCES: Infographics on how people across the EU feel about harm reduction; EU candidate finder tool; Introduction to advocacy.
FAQs
Campaigning can be difficult, especially if it's not your full time job, but we're here to make it simpler. In this section, you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about legislative processes, advocacy strategies, and how you can effectively participate in shaping policies.
Simply put, advocacy is organising a group of likeminded people who campaign for a change in government policy by talking to the people in power. This can take many forms, from posting on social media, to writing to your local politicians, to arranging meetings with the government or responding to consultations. We help by providing the information and tools you need to do this effectively.
Government websites will usually contain a list of the legislative files that are in the process of becoming law. However, these kinds of websites are designed for legal and political professionals, and they can often be confusing for the general public. We help by keeping our ear to the ground, looking out for development in tobacco harm reduction proposals, and then make sure you have an easy-to-use summary.
Politicians are people too, and like everyone else, the best way to get messages to them varies from person to person. Some like email or even traditional mail, while others are constantly checking their social media feeds. They all have one thing in common though: they need to keep up to date with what matters to the people they represent. We help you find yours by keeping databases of politicians and candidates across Europe alongside all of their contact details, so you can quickly find out how to reach the person you need.
Yes! The only reason that harm reduction is still alive and kicking in Europe today is because people like you, with no political or campaigning background, took action to protect the availability of the products they rely on to stay smoke free. We've got lots of articles that talk about when and how this has happened in the past, which we hope will inspire you to get involved and make a difference.