Cancer Research UK Decline E-Cigarette Donation
UK Electronic Cigrette Company cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk wanted to donate money to a charity that had the same vision as them but Cancer Research UK have begun legal steps to stop the association.
On the 31st August 2009 cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk announced that they would be donating 10p of every product to Cancer Research UK. This was done, not only to show that they are good people but to also support a charity who they believed shared the same vision of creating a smoke free environment around the world by offering an alternative to tobacco smoking without the tobacco, tar and the thousands of other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes.
But to the shock of the business owner Cancer Research jumped at the chance to disassociate themselves with the scheme by utilising the skills of Neha Singhal, Volunteer Paralegal.
In an email written not to cheap Electronic Cigarettes but to the Manufacturers NUCIG, he wrote ‘Please find attached a snap shot of the website where it is being claimed that you are donating 10p of every cigarette sold to Cancer Research UK and a press release dated 31st August also claiming the same thing. Please remove reference to our name from the website and also please make sure that no such press releases are announced in the future.’
Owner of cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk Michael Kitt said of the email “Persoanlly I am very disappointed that Cancer Research UK have decided to go down this route without even so much as a brief investigation into the potential benefits of Electronic Cigarettes. They have totally dismissed the idea even though we could have been donating significant money to their cause.” He added “We have invited Cancer Research UK to meet with us to explore the product as they do support other nicotine replacement items but as yet no-one has taken us up on the offer so we will of course be removing the references from our website. This does however leave a significant hole in our plans and we are actively looking for a suitable charity or cause who is open minded enough to at least speak with us about donations and we invite them to get in contact.”
The move to donate to Cancer Research UK also came under criticiam on popular E-smoking forum e-cigarette-forum.com where users had mixed reviews of the resoning and benefit behind the donations.
Veteran member Tropical Bob wrote “This could be sharpening the sword that beheads us. In the U.S., ‘cancer research’ dollars given a charity might well end up funding ASH and other anti-tobacco efforts. He better make jolly well sure the money goes exclusively to cancer research — not bureaucratic salaries, public information campaigns, etc.
E-smoking, to the best of our knowledge, cannot initiate cancer. Better to fund quit-smoking programs, educational efforts in schools or wellness programs.”
Westcoast2 added “CRUK is a supposed ‘Charity’ that gets funds from HMG to promote policy (esp anti-smoking and anti-alcohol). I also believe they fund ASH (UK). This is probably the worse thing this company could have done.”
Michael responded “I honestly thank the users of e-cigarette-forum.com for their comments on our move as it has given us several ideas of organisations to look for that may allow us to donate to their efforts. Yes, we want to be seen as good guys, but that is mainly because we are. We are a company with a conscience, that is how I began it and that is how we will continue. We don’t have to offer free worldwide delivery but we do because we believe that Electronic cigarettes will eventually help millions of people around the globe, and being able to donate to a scheme which also helps smokers is one of our continuing goals.”
cheapelectroniccigarettes.co.uk would also like to publicly announce that Cancer Research UK in no way endorse the products they sell.
