Hi guys. The newshour is doing a piece on FDA regulation of ecig's tonight
Hi guys. The newshour is doing a piece on FDA regulation of ecig's tonight

Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes by the FDA
By Mitch Zeller, the Director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products.
Thank you for.your petition on electronic cigarettes.
First things first: While we are seeking to regulate products like electronic cigarettes, the proposed regulation would not ban them.
Some background, which you may already know: TheFamily Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.that Congress passed in 2009 gave the FDA immediate authority to regulate certain tobacco products -- cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco -- under the.Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act. And while it didn't apply right away to other tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, the law gave the FDA authority to cover those products through regulation.
We've.issued a proposed rule.to allow the FDA to regulate those products in the April 25, 2014 issue of the.Federal Register. Electronic cigarettes containing nicotine derived from tobacco would meet the statutory definition of "tobacco product" and so they'd be subject to the FD&C Act when the proposed rule is finalized.
Now the petition states that.sections 905.and.910.of the FD&C Act would "ban all e-cigarettes," and that's not true.
If the FDA finalizes the rule in its current form, electronic cigarettes manufacturers will need authorization to sell products not commercially marketed as of February 15, 2007 -- but this doesn't mean these products would be banned. Sections 905 and 910 describe the applications and reports manufacturers will need to submit to sell their products.
There will be two primary ways for tobacco products to obtain that authorization: either an application for "substantial equivalence," or an application for premarket approval.
"Substantial equivalence" would ask manufacturers to compare their products to another product that was already commercially marketed by February 15, 2007 or that was previously found by FDA to be substantially equivalent -- though we acknowledge this may be challenging for electronic cigarettes. Second would be the premarket tobacco application, where a manufacturer submits information to the FDA establishing it would be "appropriate for the protection of public health" to allow the product to be marketed.
We know that those applications may require time and resources to develop. That's why the FDA does not intend to take legal action against manufacturers for marketing their products without prior authorization until the FDA issues its decision on the application -- so long as the manufacturer gets its application in within two years and thirty days after the final rule is published. Our hope is to provide manufacturers flexibility as the FDA completes its review.
So why are we seeking to regulate these products in the first place? As we discuss in the proposed rule, though all tobacco products are potentially harmful and potentially addictive, different categories of tobacco products may have the potential for varying effects on public health. There's still a lot we don't know about these products, and this rule will expand the amount of information available to the FDA and the public -- that's good for everyone.
Some people believe that e-cigarettes may help smokers quit smoking and that switching from regular cigarettes to e-cigarettes may reduce exposure to harmful components and constituents in cigarette smoke. But again, we don't know enough to make that call. This rule would help us to continue to analyze the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes, including their impact on nonusers and on the population as a whole.
It's important to remember that this rule isn't final yet, though. We're seeking comments on the proposed rule as to how e-cigarettes should be regulated based on the continuum of nicotine-delivering products, and the potential benefits and risks associated with e-cigarettes.
The.opportunity to comment on FDA's proposed rule is now open.and comments are due on July 9, 2014. We encourage you to do so, and to provide any data and information you may have to support your comments.
Related links:
See the proposed ruleSubmit a comment on the proposed rule
Electronic cigarettes containing nicotine derived from tobacco would meet the statutory definition of "tobacco product" and so they'd be subject to the FD&C Act when the proposed rule is finalized.
So........the petition is still a good thing......
The links that we got from that email are info that we need to continue in the right direction. Even if the petition was not completely accurate the signatures show our support against some of the regulations being purposed.
My post somewhere else in forum replying to one of Uncle's post....
"I'm not a lawyer, I'm not a politician, I'm an educated mathematician, stay at home mom, grandmother and ex-smoker that vapes. I feel that my words are as important than the next guys and that everyone has a voice. On each side of the fence there are voices waiting to be heard, don't yell across the fence for no one will understand all that's being said. Discuss, petition, delegate and work together for the best outcome.
I agree (to a previous post), I say sign petitions that will get our points across. What's important is that the petitions reach the signatures required. Waiting will only help get the pot to the boiling point, why not start by dousing the fire. I know that probably doesn't make sense to some but all I'm thinking is Signed petitions will be seen. The FDA is not waiting, they want the boiling water.
"We the People, For the People, By the People", these are not words that we can sit by a let go of. If we want our rights, we have to fight for them. Take a stand and Make a stand for those rights. I'm sure there will be many ways for everyone to do this and a United front will be the best. I say sign the petitions! March on DC. Call your congressmen and anyone that you feel can help in our efforts. Use our freedom of speech."
Also his reply:
"Funny thing - since I signed the petition - I just got a response from "By Mitch Zeller, the Director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products." AND - While it may have just been a generic letter sent to everyone who signed the petition, it shows that it was seen and also provided a link to be "heard" . . .
"The opportunity to comment on FDA's proposed rule is now open and comments are due on July 9, 2014. We encourage you to do so, and to provide any data and information you may have to support your comments."
AND - In the email letter I got it also provided the following:
Related links:
See the proposed rule
Submit a comment on the proposed rule
Tell us what you think about this response and We the People.
So - The question now really becomes are "We" being heard even if the petition is poorly written ? ? ? Who knows, but the petition is being seen and getting some attention . . ."
another of my replys.....and I believe that we need to let government, fda, BT, BP know what we think and let them know that we are watching....
"I received same email from The White House.gov. What I do like about that is that it helps lead a way to keep up with what is being proposed and what Uncle just said it's being noticed (seen). Peeps that's a step. Don't just sit and hope that the next guy will say or do what you want done."
I didn't say I didn't sign it since I was one of the first thousand votes. I just wanted to pass along the note from CASAA good, bad or other.![]()