FDA FDA changed deadline for signing up to speak at Dec 10/11 e-cigarette workshop, prevents e-cig advocates from speaking

[Bill Godshall]

Last Thursday, the FDA rescinded today's deadline for signing up to speak at (and attend) the agency's December 10/11 e-cigarette workshop.
A Public Workshop – Electronic Cigarettes and the Public Health?

When I tried to sign up to speak today, FDA's sign up website informed me that they're not letting anyone else to speak or attend the event (purportedly due to the large number of people who signed up after the FDA invited many of its funding recipients and other e-cig opponents to present at the workshop). And when I sent an e-mail to FDA contact person Caryn Cohen requesting to speak, I received an auto reply.

I've attended and spoke at about a dozen FDA tobacco regulatory meetings since 2010, and the agency has always honored its sign-up deadlines in the past (i.e. they've never prevented people from speaking as long as they signed up by the deadline).

I was also going to urge others THR advocates to sign up before today's deadline, but the FDA has preempted that as well.

 

[mountaingal]

Well, that is Big Government and Big tobacco working together, again, to keep us silent! Who can we complain to, Bob?

 

[klynnn]

I would expect nothing less from the current admin.

 

[Nate760]

When I tried to sign up to speak today, FDA's sign up website informed me that they're not letting anyone else to speak or attend the event (purportedly due to the large number of people who signed up after the FDA invited many of its funding recipients and other e-cig opponents to present at the workshop).

It's time to start filing lawsuits. The WHO might be able to get away with these antics, but they are not legal in the United States of America. You can't formulate public policy with no public access and no public representation. I seem to recall we fought a revolution over such abuses.

 

[csardaz]

I saw some earlier workshops - someone would give a good presentation and the FDA people would ask them some unaswerable question that left them speechless. Except for Bill, they never dared to ask him any questions. I hope they are at least thinking of 'what question could we ask this guy', That would force them to apply reason to his subject matter.

 

[DrMA]

I saw some earlier workshops - someone would give a good presentation and the FDA people would ask them some unaswerable question that left them speechless. Except for Bill, they never dared to ask him any questions. I hope they are at least thinking of 'what question could we ask this guy', That would force them to apply reason to his subject matter.

The only question worth asking: Why is the FDA fighting so hard to sign the death warrants of 44 million American smokers?

 

[choochoogranny]

The only question worth asking: Why is the FDA fighting so hard to sign the death warrants of 44 million American smokers?

Bingo!!!

 

[wv2win]

The Obama's administration "hope and change" = we are going to change the way government is run so people with common sense have no hope.

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

The only question worth asking: Why is the FDA fighting so hard to sign the death warrants of 44 million American smokers?

And this is the question that should be asked in every letter to congress and every post on a questionable news story.

We are being far too polite to people who are doing their best to bury us trying to maintain their cash flow.

 

[Nate760]

We are being far too polite to people who are doing their best to bury us trying to maintain their cash flow.

This man makes a lot of sense.