3/23/09 | Senator seeks to halt sales of 'e-cigarettes'

[Chevron07]

Just in case the Senator (or his staff) read this thread:

Thanks to an electronic cigarette, today marks the first day in about 16 years that I haven't taken as much as a drag from a tobacco cigarette. I've been down to one "real" cigarette a day for about a week, but yesterday morning I took a drag from a "real" one, and it made me gag and tasted horrible. I immediately put it out and have no interest in going back if I can get my nicotine in a vaporized mist.

 

[Terraphon]

60 days for me.

Not one single drag of a tobacco cigarette in 60 days and I'm not dead (or sick, or feeling poorly) from the use of my personal vaporizer.

 

[chainy]

Hello, my name's Brad and I'm new to the forum and e-cigs. I've been lurking here for a few days now and just ordered a Vapor King from Vapor4Life, expecting it to arrive tomorrow.

Anyway, I wrote to both my senators and my congressman urging them not to vote for this legislation.

Hello Mr. Young,

As one of your constituents in Largo, FL, I feel inclined to talk to you about e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are devices that act as nicotine vaporizers, giving smokers like myself a nicotine fix, without any of the cancer and COPD causing ingredients like tar. The devices work by vaporizing a nicotine/propylene glycol (the chemical that is used in fog machines) solution. Currently, no studies have been conducted regarding their safety or long-term health effects.

Yesterday, senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced a bill to ban the sale of e-cigarettes federally until the FDA can conduct studies on the effects of them. I don't think studying the effects of these devices is a bad idea, however banning the devices until the FDA conducts studies could cause thousands of smokers to revert back to the obviously more harmful tobacco. Also, considering the current political-social environment regarding smoking, I'm afraid the FDA will come to the conclusion that these devices should be banned altogether. As a reformed tobacco user, I do not want to see this happen.

These devices are saving lives and lungs, and while nicotine use and addiction is certainly not a good thing, it's better than inhaling the thousands of cancer causing chemicals found in cigarettes which are currently completely legal.

Should this bill make it to the House and cross your desk, do the right thing and help save American lives.

Thank you,

Brad Daniels

I know I fudged a little and said I had already quit tobacco... but I plan to tomorrow!

 

[imeothanasis]

Thats my letter guys, in uppercase all of it

"DEAR SENATOR

WHEN THE CIGARETTES CAME TO MARKET 100 YEARS AGO, DID YOU OR
SOMEONE ELSE DO A RESEARCH ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES? OF COURSE YOU DONT
BECAUSE YOU DID NOT LIVED THAT DAY, AND OF COURSE 100 YEARS AGO THE
ONLY ONE THAT DONT CONCERN ANYONE WAS HEALTH.
THE MAIN QUESTION IS A QUESTION WITCH ALL OF AS HAD ALREADY PUT TO
YOU. ARE THE REAL CIGARETTES SAFER? YOU WANT TO DO A RESEARCH TO
SEE WITCH IS HELTHIER? i WILL TELL WITCH IS, SO YOU WILL STOP
PREVENTING THE E-CIG.
THE E-CIG LIQUID HAS SOME COMPONENTS WITCH HAVE BEEN TESTED AND AS
FAR AS WE KNOW THEY ARE NOT RISKY FOR HEALTH. IF IN THE FUTURE WE
DISCOVER THAT THE THINGS ARE NOT LIKE THIS, THEN WE WILL DO WHAT IT
HAS BEEN DONE WITH THE ANALOGS. KEEP SMOKING.
THE TRUTH IS THAT IF YOU CONCERN FOR OUR HEALTH, GO TO MARLBORO AND
STOP THE PRODUCTION. WILL YOU DO IT MY FRIEND?
IF YOU DO IT, I WILL QUIT SMOKING AND THE E-SMOKING.
EXEPT THAT, HOW CAN YOU STOP SOMETHING IF THERE IS ONE, EVEN ONE
POSSIBILITY TO BE SAFER? PROPYLENOGLYCOL IS TO THE FOODS. WILL YOU
STOP IT FROM THERE?
HAVE YOU THE POWER TO STOP SOMETHING? IF THERE IS EVEN ONE
POSSIBILITY TO HAVE THE POWER, THEN STOP THE ANALOG CIGARETTES
PRODUCTION.
I DONT KNOW IF YOU UNDERSTAND MY WORDS. ARE YOU A SMOKER? THE BEST
WAY TO UNDERSTAND A PROBLEM IS TO BE TO THE SITUATION OF THE PERSON
WHO HAS THE PROBLEM. SO ARE YOU A SMOKER? OF COURSE YOU ARENT, BUT
LETS SUPOSE YOU WERE A SMOKER. wOULD YOU PREFER TO KEEP SMOKING
ANALOGS, THE STANDARD DEATH? I REPEAT IT: THE STANDARD DEATH? I
THINK THAT YOU WOULD GO TO THE E-SMOKING AT ONCE!
BUT IF YOU THINK THAT THE E-SMOKING IS STANDARD DEATH TOO, LET US
CHOOSE THE WAY WE WANT TO DIE MY FRIEND.
BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE. THAT MEANS WE HAVE SOMETHING SURE AND
SOMETHING WE DONT KNOW. WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? DONT ANSWER, I KNOW
THE ANSWER.
WELL, THE CONCLUTION IS: LET THE RESEARCH KEEP GOING AND LET US DO THE SAME IF YOU REALLY REALLY REALLY CONCERN ABOUT MY HEALTH AND OTHERS

SAKIS"

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

Thats my letter guys, in uppercase all of it

"DEAR SENATOR

WHEN THE CIGARETTES CAME TO MARKET 100 YEARS AGO, DID YOU OR
SOMEONE ELSE DO A RESEARCH ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES? OF COURSE YOU DONT
BECAUSE YOU DID NOT LIVED THAT DAY, AND OF COURSE 100 YEARS AGO THE
ONLY ONE THAT DONT CONCERN ANYONE WAS HEALTH.
THE MAIN QUESTION IS A QUESTION WITCH ALL OF AS HAD ALREADY PUT TO
YOU. ARE THE REAL CIGARETTES SAFER? YOU WANT TO DO A RESEARCH TO
SEE WITCH IS HELTHIER? i WILL TELL WITCH IS, SO YOU WILL STOP
PREVENTING THE E-CIG.
THE E-CIG LIQUID HAS SOME COMPONENTS WITCH HAVE BEEN TESTED AND AS
FAR AS WE KNOW THEY ARE NOT RISKY FOR HEALTH. IF IN THE FUTURE WE
DISCOVER THAT THE THINGS ARE NOT LIKE THIS, THEN WE WILL DO WHAT IT
HAS BEEN DONE WITH THE ANALOGS. KEEP SMOKING.
THE TRUTH IS THAT IF YOU CONCERN FOR OUR HEALTH, GO TO MARLBORO AND
STOP THE PRODUCTION. WILL YOU DO IT MY FRIEND?
IF YOU DO IT, I WILL QUIT SMOKING AND THE E-SMOKING.
EXEPT THAT, HOW CAN YOU STOP SOMETHING IF THERE IS ONE, EVEN ONE
POSSIBILITY TO BE SAFER? PROPYLENOGLYCOL IS TO THE FOODS. WILL YOU
STOP IT FROM THERE?
HAVE YOU THE POWER TO STOP SOMETHING? IF THERE IS EVEN ONE
POSSIBILITY TO HAVE THE POWER, THEN STOP THE ANALOG CIGARETTES
PRODUCTION.
I DONT KNOW IF YOU UNDERSTAND MY WORDS. ARE YOU A SMOKER? THE BEST
WAY TO UNDERSTAND A PROBLEM IS TO BE TO THE SITUATION OF THE PERSON
WHO HAS THE PROBLEM. SO ARE YOU A SMOKER? OF COURSE YOU ARENT, BUT
LETS SUPOSE YOU WERE A SMOKER. wOULD YOU PREFER TO KEEP SMOKING
ANALOGS, THE STANDARD DEATH? I REPEAT IT: THE STANDARD DEATH? I
THINK THAT YOU WOULD GO TO THE E-SMOKING AT ONCE!
BUT IF YOU THINK THAT THE E-SMOKING IS STANDARD DEATH TOO, LET US
CHOOSE THE WAY WE WANT TO DIE MY FRIEND.
BUT YOU ARE NOT SURE. THAT MEANS WE HAVE SOMETHING SURE AND
SOMETHING WE DONT KNOW. WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? DONT ANSWER, I KNOW
THE ANSWER.
WELL, THE CONCLUTION IS: LET THE RESEARCH KEEP GOING AND LET US DO THE SAME IF YOU REALLY REALLY REALLY CONCERN ABOUT MY HEALTH AND OTHERS

SAKIS"

Nice letter man.... But if you send that we're screwed

 

[imeothanasis]

What do you thought man? That I will kneel in front of him? That guys wants this behavior to understand how stup..d they are.
They are old people with his brain lost and they sit and try to think. What can these mans can think? nothing.
Have you realize that the powerful men today are stup...d?
Did you know that goverments are full of stupid people who kneel to other people and they are unable to do the simpliest thing?

Or do you think that if i had put it in another way senator would had understand?

There are other people who put it in another way. NOT ME.


PS... stup....d people. Sorry I was thinking loud

 

[sherid]

A posting from Bill Godshall of SmokeFree on Dr. Siegel's blog on e cigarettes,
The American Cancer Society has a conflict of interest on this issue, as it has an apparently secretive multi million dollar exclusive product endorsement contract with GlaxoSmithKline whereby GSK has given ACS lots of money for ACS's official endorsement of Nicoderm, Nicorette, and Commit (with ACS name and logo on these products).

Exclusive product endorsement contracts typicially contain non compete clauses (that prohibit the product endorser from also endorsing competitor brands or products).

But even if the ACS/GSK contract doesn't specifically prohibit ACS from endorsing competitive nicotine (and/or tobacco products), its in ACS's financial interest to not endorse competitive products (as the severance clause in the contract probably allows GSK to end the contract whenever it chooses to do so).

I'm also not aware of any peer reviewed journal article by ACS researchers Michael Thun or Jane Henley (who have authored several articles with misleading health risk information about smokeless tobacco products) that cites GSK's multi million dollar NRT product endorsement contract as a potential conflict of interest.

But unless/until the ACS/GSK contract is made public, only ACS and GSK will know if their contract lawfully prohibits ACS from saying anything good about alternative smokefree tobacco/nicotine products.
Bill Godshall | 03.25.09 - 3:32 pm | #

 

[Duckies]

All,

Sen. Lautenberg didn't introduce (or pen) a bill, he wrote a letter to the FDA to ask them to pull these. There is legislation pending in both the house and senate attempting to put Tobacco under the watchful eye of the FDA, but that isn't final.

What Lautenberg is doing doesn't involve any other house or senate actions (or Congresspeople or Senators). While it is good to keep your reps informed, this isn't a legislative action. He is tossing his weight into the ring and asking the FDA to do a "new drug and it falls under us, pull it until we can study it" action.

This will not require any kind of congressional action or approval.

Just an FYI.

 

[imeothanasis]

Dukies, thanks for info. We must prevent things, not chasing shadows after things are done. Thanks again for the information, I feel better now, but SJ wanted to help before the problem born. Nice and quick move.

 

[Kamanjah]

Rants don't help anyone but the ranter. Screaming at a US Senator in a rant full of misspellings and incorrect English grammar isn't going to help the cause of keeping our devices legal. Hopefully a staff member hits the delete forever button and the Senator never sees this.

I have learned from years of activism that a polite and respectful approach and presentation of facts may get you heard and that rudeness and ranting by even one person can increase opposition by those in power - and negate hours of work other people have put into advocacy. Government officials are people too, and being personally insulted can often negatively influence their opinion (or close their minds completely) and casts a bad light on all parties involved in any given issue, our issue being along the lines of "Please don't ban our e-cigs." Your use of "we" and "us" in your, um, letter implies you are speaking for a group of vapers, thus the assumption could be made that all of us feel as you do. Let us all hope such an assumption is not made!

Dealing with government is a lengthy, time consuming and highly frustrating task.

At least we now seem to have Dr. Siegel on our side, which is HUGE!

 

[jamie]

Rants don't help anyone but the ranter. Screaming at a US Senator in a rant full of misspellings and incorrect English grammar isn't going to help the cause of keeping our devices legal. Hopefully a staff member hits the delete forever button and the Senator never sees this.

Absolutely and worth repeating.

 

[walkman4169]

one thing in our favor is the courts can overrule the fda,according to an artcal i read in the detroit freepress on 3-24-09 concerning the morning after pill.
one more thing dont fear the goverment WE ARE THE GOVERMENT.sign the petition;write your congressman,seanator,goveanor and anyone else you can think of..........

 

[imeothanasis]

Rants don't help anyone but the ranter. Screaming at a US Senator in a rant full of misspellings and incorrect English grammar isn't going to help the cause of keeping our devices legal. Hopefully a staff member hits the delete forever button and the Senator never sees this.

I have learned from years of activism that a polite and respectful approach and presentation of facts may get you heard and that rudeness and ranting by even one person can increase opposition by those in power - and negate hours of work other people have put into advocacy. Government officials are people too, and being personally insulted can often negatively influence their opinion (or close their minds completely) and casts a bad light on all parties involved in any given issue, our issue being along the lines of "Please don't ban our e-cigs." Your use of "we" and "us" in your, um, letter implies you are speaking for a group of vapers, thus the assumption could be made that all of us feel as you do. Let us all hope such an assumption is not made!

Dealing with government is a lengthy, time consuming and highly frustrating task.

At least we now seem to have Dr. Siegel on our side, which is HUGE!

Dear Kamanjah, I respect your opinion so much as you never imagine. I respect all people's opinion, even the opinion of the senator. Thats democracy. But here is not the Periklis democracy in witch all the people vote. We have our representatives to do it for us. So I am waiting from him to serve me. He is my servant and nothing else, nothing at all. If he cant serve me well, I have the right to speak, to shout and to throw a yogurt at him.

I will tell you something that I know years and years and you know it. I will give it with an example:

You are in the road with your car and someone does a stup...d move. If you look from the window and see a " wardrobe" inside the other car, the most possible thing is to shout your mouth and go. Do you know why? You are afraid because of his big body. The same applies to the politicians. When they see an angry crowd they go back, but if they see 3 men then they do nothing.

I always believed that the dialogue is the best solution to problems but the violence is the final gun. So wars are made, wifes and husbands fight and so on.

I have not beat anyone never. The times I loud to someone are very very few. But if its a matter of my health and my luck is in other hands, I am mad.

Sorry for my english and for the "we" but its true. We all feel that way. Maybe your way is best at this time but my way will be nesessary to the future

I dont argue with you, you are in my side so we are ok I think

 

[TropicalBob]

Amen, Nicole. His dog is not even in this fight. Stay out of it. Rants will alienate even friends and allies, alarming people at the strident tone of the argument. Rants certainly won't win anyone over to our "enlightened" side.

There are excellent letters here -- along with quite a few posts from folks who shouldn't address an envelope.

 

[lordmage]

i also thought it a good idea to write the FDA i used this "A sentor is pushing for a ban on devices know as electronic cigarettes or alternative cigarettes but is really missinformed. i am writing to the FDA in the hopes that With correct information and public outcry the best Decision for public safety will actually be made. when compared to real cigarettes the so call alternative is safer for the public in genral. i urge those at the FDa to read up on the deivces and see from the first hand people like me that they do indead work and are safe.

The medium is called: Propylene glycol.

“Also known as propane-1,2-diol, it is an organic compound, usually a faint sweet, odourless, and colourless clear viscous(thick & sticky) liquid that is hygroscopic( absorbs water from the air) and miscible(capable of mixing with water) with water, acetone and chloroform.” Wikepedia 09/08

Propylene glycol is used in the following ways:

As a moisturiser in medicine, cosmetics, food, toothpaste, mouth wash and tobacco products.
In electronic cigarettes to make the produced vapour better resemble cigarette smoke.
As a medical and sexual lubricant.
As an emulsifier (prevents separation) in Angostura and orange bitters.
As a solvent for food colourings and flavourings.
As a humectant (to keep product moist) food additive labelled E1520.
As a carrier in fragrance oils.
As a less toxic anti freeze (sounds scary, but it will be because of it’s nature as an emulsifier).
As a solvent used in photographic chemicals.
In hand sanitizer lotions.

It has already been approved by the FDA since we use it in so many household ways.

"

 

[Krakkan]

Congressman Stearns immediately went to bat for us along with two other members of the congress. I will link the article when I find it but 20 mins after the first letter went to the FDA Stearns was on Lautenberg..

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/sen.-lautenberg-wants-to-snuff-out-electronic-cigarettes-2009-03-23.html

Also here is an article calling out Lautenberg for being a Pharmawhore by one of our fellow community members/suppliers quite a fun read..

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1594469/does_big_pharm_have_links_to_an_anti.html?cat=3

 

[Terraphon]

His letter has already been posted.

 

[imeothanasis]

Maybe my letter to senator did not pass successfully from the "forever delete button" and that's Senators answer:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me. Your comments are important to me and I wanted to confirm with you that I have received your message.

Please feel free to contact me again should you have additional concerns or if there is any way in which I can be of assistance.

Thank you,

Sincerely,
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg


Exept this is an automatic fake respond from..... I dont know where.

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

Maybe my letter to senator did not pass successfully from the "forever delete button" and that's Senators answer:

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me. Your comments are important to me and I wanted to confirm with you that I have received your message.

Please feel free to contact me again should you have additional concerns or if there is any way in which I can be of assistance.

Thank you,

Sincerely,
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg


Exept this is an automatic fake respond from..... I dont know where.

Yeah... that's the same bull**** anyone would get. BTW notice how all of our posts from yesterday are gone? Gotta love censorship.... It seeps down from the top into every facet of our existence....

 

[imeothanasis]

Yeah... that's the same bull****
anyone would get. BTW notice how all of our posts from yesterday
are gone? Gotta love censorship.... It seeps down from the top into
every facet of our existence....

Definit, I dont know where are my posts too but I dont think that
we are not free of speech here. We post thinks that every member
saw and thats what we want here.

If for some reason SJ believes that its for the best to delete
them, (for ours best) I am ok. But if we really want to send to the senator a
letter we can do it easy outside the forum.

Perrsonally I dont want to send him anything. We will see the
results and then we can loud out that our way was better.

Maybe it is not the point to see who is right or wrong but the
results. I hope for the best. But if the thing fails, we must say that
maybe our way was better, only to learn other people how the play
is going.

Here in Greece and in other countries of course, if the things get wild, all politicians start thinking seriously the facts. We are not in Japan were people strike and they work at the same time.
Maybe politicians there, are more serious. What can I say......