I didn't feel like reading the whole letter thus tried searching for the pertinent parts. I could not find any. Do you have any other sources?
Thus far this is only reminding me that the Republican Party won't be dictated by fact-checkers.
I'm not following your last sentence. Waxman is a Democrat.
Anyhow, if you are familiar with all the lies and fraudulent research about dissolvable tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and other low-risk smoke-free alternatives to smoking, the first paragraph of Waxman's letter is a big clue:
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study showing that in recent years the decline in the consumption of cigarettes has been largely offset by a huge increase in the consumption of cigars and pipe tobacco. And today, another report from CDC described an alarming new trend: young smokers are smoking candy- and fruit-flavored cigars at high rates.
Notice the big lie regarding "candy-and fruit-flavored". Where have we heard this before? Oh, that's right. Flavored e-liquids are a plot on the part of the tobacco companies (ignore the fact that tobacco companies until very recently were not involved in the sale or manufacture of e-cigarette components at all) to addict our children to smoking. We heard the same thing about dissolvable tobacco orbs.
If you have any doubt about this being Waxman's theory , see the middle of paragraph 2:
Tobacco companies have a long history of evading regulation to addict smokers, especially children, to their lethal products.
The third paragraph in its entirety continues with Waxman's misreading and misinterpretation (quite possibly on purpose) of tobacco company documents to hold forth as "proof" of his theory.
The internal company documents show that tobacco manufacturers are manipulating existing products and introducing new products to avoid Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation and higher federal tax rates. These actions are endangering youth and undermining the goals of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) and the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), both of which Congress passed in 2009.
All you have to do is ignore the fact that Star Scientific invented and began marketing Ariva and Stonewall dissolvable orbs over 10 years ago because they figured out that there was no way to make a combusted tobacco product safe. Thus they began developing products that could be substituted for tobacco smoking and reduce the related disease and mortality risks. Of course, you'll also have to ignore the fact that 10 years ago, there was no FSPTCA or CHIPRA law.
But here is the clincher:
I urge you to act without delay to stop these abusive practices. The Tobacco Control Act, which Congress enacted in 2009, gives you authority to regulate tobacco products that are used as substitutes for cigarettes. Prompt action by FDA can stop tobacco companies from exploiting loopholes and continuing to addict youth.
This paragraph shows that Waxman doesn't know how to quit when he's ahead:
Data released by CDC earlier this month showed that 15.7% of high school boys are smoking cigars20 Today, CDC has released alarming new data that explains why this occurring. The new CDC data about tobacco use by young adults ages 18 to 24 reveals a high level of use of flavored cigars. Among these young adults, 15.9% smoke cigars.21 According to the new CDC data, nearly 60% of these young cigar smokers are smoking cigars with candy, fruit, and other flavors 22
If cigars are smoked as intended (without inhaling), they carry 50% of the health risk of smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Waxman seems to believe that flavors are some new idea that the tobacco companies recently implemented as part of a dark and dire plot to addict children. Actually, tobacco companies have added flavorings to all their products ever since the products were invented.
The FDA announced their intention to issue a deeming regulation that would bring ALL tobacco products under their purview. They specifically mentioned e-cigarettes. The Tobacco Act (FSPTCA) is difficult to read having been authored in a foreign language: legaleze. But if all sections of the Tobacco Act are applied to all products imagine how these provisions will affect the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes:
1. Any product that was not being sold as of
February 2006 is considered a "new tobacco product" and must submit an application for approval. Until approval is given, the product needs to be taken off the market.
2. The regulations that have been written regarding what kind of information must be submitted with a new tobacco product application rival any of the requirements pharmaceutical companies must comply with to gain approval of a new drug. They will cost so much money that only a tobacco company could afford to comply.
3. Those of us who have switched to e-cigarettes can easily tell that our health has improved. No company is allowed to mention this unless they have complied with the requirements for being designated a modified risk product. The regulations governing these requirements involve toxicology studies, animal studies, randomized clinical trials, etc. etc.
Hopefully like other have said we can get a support video, or at least some sort of statement sent to the right people. The "Sorry" was because I truly do feel bad about it. I love vaping. I have been vaping for a little under two weeks and I have no interest in smoking ever again. It's like you said, people have different priorities, and no candidate is ever going to be perfect.
