Aaron from A Billion Lives responds to questions

Status
Not open for further replies.

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
On the heels of being at the premier Saturday night, we received this letter from Senator Ron Johnson this morning. The film may have gotten his ire up. ;) :)

"Thank you for contacting me about the regulations of e-cigarettes recently announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One of the greatest costs to consumers and the economy comes when a regulation is so burdensome and overreaching that it threatens to wipe out an entire product or industry. The FDA’s decision to expand its own authority over e-cigarettes could threaten a whole class of businesses and the people who work at them, and it could harm public health by making it harder for consumers to buy products that serve as an alternative to smoking. The regulation forces e-cigarette manufacturers to complete prohibitively costly and time-consuming applications to sell e-cigarette products. As a result, many e-cigarette manufacturers—many of which are small businesses—could be forced to shut down.

As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over federal agencies’ operations, I am committed to holding the FDA accountable.I have sent multiple requests for information about the FDA’s e-cigarette regulation so the committee and the American public may fully understand the FDA’s rulemaking and its consequences for small businesses and the public’s health. As of July 15, 2016, the agency’s responses have been inadequate.

I asked the FDA how many e-cigarette businesses it expects will be affected by the rule. The FDA gave an inadequate response that lacked the necessary details. The FDA said it did not possess some important information about the economic effects of the rule, writing that ‘[t]he baseline number of manufacturers and importers of [e-cigarette] products is uncertain.’ Without such basic information, it is impossible for the agency to weigh costs and benefits as it is required to do.

I will continue to fight on behalf of Wisconsinites and the American people in order to get complete answers from the FDA and to ensure that the agency remains transparent in its rulemaking.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson
United States Senator
 

Mazinny

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 25, 2013
4,263
22,713
NY
Well at least we'll get "answers and transparency". :confused: Sorry for being more enthusiastic but I was hoping for something more from him.
He's kinda busy with a tough reelection campaign, and not doing too well in the polls currently. I did read the FDA response to his previous letter. It was mostly boilerplate nonsense, but they did offer to give him a briefing, an offer Senator Johnson refused. He stated he needs more complete and detailed written responses first.

He is running out of time, doesn't look too good for him in the election.
 

SlickWilly

Tinkerer
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Feb 18, 2013
1,275
20,835
NY
Yeah, I doubt anything will happen until the elections are over and then some time after that, after newly elected and reelected folks get settled in and pick their priorities. Could be why the FDA moved when it did and is stone walling now. That lull may play in our favor, give time for the movie and the truth to spread to the people and while the news media and politicians are too busy to discredit and bash it. I think the movie will really take off when people catch wind that it's not just the lies of vaping that's being exposed, it's the all the lies. People are slowly waking up.

I'll try to keep my frustrations in check until they get off their duff's and take action.
 

jamesbeat

Senior Member
ECF Veteran
Apr 30, 2016
185
480
49
If there is one thing I have learned from my experience as a gun owner, it is that rights can be taken away at the stroke of a pen, but can take many months or even years to get back.
Since vaping is not a Constitutional right, it may take even longer.

These legal battles take a long time, don't expect anything to happen any time soon.
 

sonicdsl

Wandering life's highway
Supporting Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Aug 11, 2011
17,744
19,245
Well at least we'll get "answers and transparency". :confused: Sorry for being more enthusiastic but I was hoping for something more from him.

I was too. At least it's "something", even if it is a form letter. I am going to reply with a "Thank You". ;)
Well, he did post this update today on his website:
Majority Media | Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee | Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee

It's "something" IMO. :)
 

Mazinny

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Jul 25, 2013
4,263
22,713
NY
On the heels of being at the premier Saturday night, we received this letter from Senator Ron Johnson this morning. The film may have gotten his ire up. ;) :)

"Thank you for contacting me about the regulations of e-cigarettes recently announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One of the greatest costs to consumers and the economy comes when a regulation is so burdensome and overreaching that it threatens to wipe out an entire product or industry. The FDA’s decision to expand its own authority over e-cigarettes could threaten a whole class of businesses and the people who work at them, and it could harm public health by making it harder for consumers to buy products that serve as an alternative to smoking. The regulation forces e-cigarette manufacturers to complete prohibitively costly and time-consuming applications to sell e-cigarette products. As a result, many e-cigarette manufacturers—many of which are small businesses—could be forced to shut down.

As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over federal agencies’ operations, I am committed to holding the FDA accountable.I have sent multiple requests for information about the FDA’s e-cigarette regulation so the committee and the American public may fully understand the FDA’s rulemaking and its consequences for small businesses and the public’s health. As of July 15, 2016, the agency’s responses have been inadequate.

I asked the FDA how many e-cigarette businesses it expects will be affected by the rule. The FDA gave an inadequate response that lacked the necessary details. The FDA said it did not possess some important information about the economic effects of the rule, writing that ‘[t]he baseline number of manufacturers and importers of [e-cigarette] products is uncertain.’ Without such basic information, it is impossible for the agency to weigh costs and benefits as it is required to do.

I will continue to fight on behalf of Wisconsinites and the American people in order to get complete answers from the FDA and to ensure that the agency remains transparent in its rulemaking.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson
United States Senator
This is the same letter he has sent others prior to this movie. Apparently he left before the showing of the film. He was supplied with a copy of the film though, according to PBusardo

http://www.tasteyourjuice.com/wordpress/archives/13608
 

Alexander Mundy

Ribbon Twister
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Apr 1, 2013
4,408
26,100
Springfield, MO
facepalm.gif


From A Billion Lives FB:

8gnlZhG.jpg
 

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
@Alexander Mundy , Yup, FB really porked Aaron and the movie with this move! Whoever did the movie = tobacco graphic didn't help. :facepalm: Sadly, since the deeming regulations took effect Monday and this post was intended to go out Monday, it is in conflict with FB's no tobacco promotion policy since, thanks to the DD, vapor products and therefore the movie are now considered to be tobacco products. :-x :-x :-x :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: You're spot on too that people who had no opinion one way or the other sure do now! Talk about getting suckered in! FB sure screwed Aaron and, frankly, the whole vaping community. Aaron fought very hard to get them to allow him to promote the movie in the first place and I, for one, believe this is what they had planned on all along, pulling the plug as soon as the regulations took effect. It doesn't take a tin foil hat to figure out who's really pulling FB's strings. ;) Perhaps a couple million accounts closing would send a message?

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
 

leftyandsparky

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 22, 2015
4,029
17,924
Somewhere in the South
@Alexander Mundy , Yup, FB really porked Aaron and the movie with this move! Whoever did the movie = tobacco graphic didn't help. :facepalm: Sadly, since the deeming regulations took effect Monday and this post was intended to go out Monday, it is in conflict with FB's no tobacco promotion policy since, thanks to the DD, vapor products and therefore the movie are now considered to be tobacco products. :-x :-x :-x :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: You're spot on too that people who had no opinion one way or the other sure do now! Talk about getting suckered in! FB sure screwed Aaron and, frankly, the whole vaping community. Aaron fought very hard to get them to allow him to promote the movie in the first place and I, for one, believe this is what they had planned on all along, pulling the plug as soon as the regulations took effect. It doesn't take a tin foil hat to figure out who's really pulling FB's strings. ;) Perhaps a couple million accounts closing would send a message?

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
Mine and hubby's has been closed for 2 yrs and it was the best thing for us!
 

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
I agree, that is something. The man is doing the best he can with (apparently) what little time he has left. It's sad to think that one of the few politicians who seem to understand the benefits of vaping and how draconian the FDA regs. are is one of the people not long for that world. As promised, I did write the thank you letter mentioned above. I'm posting it here to remind every vaper to take advantage of every opportunity to plead our case and to stop the madness NOW.
Senator Johnson,

Thank you for your response. Thank you also for attending the North American premier of the documentary, "A Billion Lives". I, as well as millions of fellow vapers across the United States sincerely hope that the film heightened your awareness of the urgency to overturn the FDA's deeming regulations or, at the very least, to re-craft more reasonable and realistic regulations as they relate to vapor products. E-liquid is not tobacco and neither is any component of the delivery devices.

The majority of vapers are reformed or reforming tobacco smokers. We have managed to take control of and save our own lives through the use of this new technology with tremendously reduced risk to ourselves and no measurable risk to others. For decades, the general public's understanding has been that the goal of public health and the FDA was to save American lives from the dangers of tobacco use. Smokers have been even more acutely aware of this goal. The achievement of this goal is in sight, thanks to modern vapor products and devices and now we're being told we've simply traded a mule for a jack .... Nothing could be further from the truth, as the film A Billion Lives points out. I don't know that the FDA understands the pride taken by life long tobacco smokers who have become 100% tobacco free, thanks to modern vapor products. Becoming tobacco free is a tremendous accomplishment in case you were not aware. The act of deeming vapor products as tobacco products is not only insulting and demeaning to the people who have worked so hard to become tobacco free, it also has a the psychological effect of implying, what's the difference then? I might as well smoke tobacco. Although most vapers DO know there is a tremendous difference and will not return to tobacco. But that does seem to be the FDA's goal, to get people to RETURN to smoking tobacco in order to maintain the status quo, the tax dollars, the salaries, the donations and the stock values, and their anti-vaping propaganda bears that out. The American public IS being lied to and vapers know that too.

Yesterday was the first day of the deeming regulations and already it has affected the life of a mentally challenged young man in Michigan. He was able to quit smoking through the use of modern vapor products but lacked the physical and mental dexterity to replace his own coils, the heating element in the tank that vaporizes the e-liquid. Prior to yesterday, the local vapor shop staff was able to replace the coils for him but as fate would have it, they couldn't help him yesterday when he needed it. The shop staff tried to explain why they couldn't help and the process of changing the coil himself but he could not do it and instead ended up breaking his device, ultimately feeling defeated and humiliated, not to mention being chastised by passersby. The shop staff stated that before yesterday, they would have been able to replace the broken parts free of charge just to help this young man out but the deeming regulations don't allow anything to be given freely so the young man was forced to go back home, get his parents, bring them back to the store and buy replacement parts. This is only one heartbreaking example of the effects the deeming will have and it happened on the very first day.

Sir, I am a reasonably well adjusted 56 year old man, sitting here writing you, on the verge of tears, begging you to please stop this madness now, before tens of thousands, possibly millions of people are forced to return to tobacco use or to never get the opportunity to get off of tobacco through the use of modern vapor products.

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
 

leftyandsparky

Vaping Master
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Nov 22, 2015
4,029
17,924
Somewhere in the South
@leftyandsparky , good for you guys! :thumbs: :thumbs:
Isn't real life grand? ;) :)

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
Thank you! This is the only social place I visit. What changed me on FB was seeing a picture I took of my child on someone's else page.
 

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
That image is exactly as posted by A Billion Lives
WOW! That's actually pretty disappointing. I'm not sure they realize how that looks to "others". I get the knee jerk reaction but in this day and age, knee jerk reactions can and do result in the wrong impressions.
Thanks for bringing that to my attention @Alexander Mundy. ;) Somebody need to give Aaron and the FB team a heads up. If it doesn't look good to supporters, think how it looks to the ANTZ. (just my opinion...)

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
 

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
Guess I'm confused, it was facebook that said "Your boosted post can't promote tobacco products." How is pointing out what fb said wrong?
Since I'm not a FB, Twitter, SnapChat person, I assumed that an ANT had done that, saying "This movie equals tobacco!" and reposted it somewhere. To me, it left that impression and while I believe I am singularly unique ( :lol: ) I doubt that I am the only one who "perceives" the negativity of it. But hey, that's "just me". :D
It's all good @SlickWilly , I know you aren't bustin' my stones, just wonderin' what I meant... ;) THat's about the best I can 'splain it. :unsure:

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:
 

Von Vape

Super Member
ECF Veteran
Mar 17, 2016
491
10,237
Update:
I should have probably added that what would have been more clear would be some question marks added at the end or a "WHAT??? REALLY???" or a "MOVIE = ANTI-TOBACCO!!!"
But again, that's just me. :confused:

Vapers Unite!
:cool: Von Vape :cool:

BTW, I just got a "You are not allowed to access e-cigarette forum" notice and have been having trouble all day. ??? !!!
 

sonicdsl

Wandering life's highway
Supporting Member
ECF Veteran
Verified Member
Aug 11, 2011
17,744
19,245
BTW, I just got a "You are not allowed to access e-cigarette forum" notice and have been having trouble all day. ??? !!!
There's nothing on your account that indicates any issues. I would say it must be one o' the Interwebz Gremlinz. :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Users who are viewing this thread