FDA wants NRT consumers to report its ineffectiveness, wants Chantix users to report adverse side effects

[DaveP]

I'm still amazed that vaping took me almost completely away from a 2 PAD habit the first week. I stubbornly held on to the last 6 cigs a day for two years until finally I decided to quit them. When I did there were no withdrawal symptoms. I could have quit completely 3 years ago instead of a little more than a year ago and didn't realize it.

vaping is effective and in my opinion it's light years ahead of smoking in terms of safety. It's too bad that the FDA hasn't spent the last few years conducting testing to determine that. Maybe they don't want to know. There's lots of tobacco settlement money yet to be collected.

We are all caught in a political conundrum, IMO.

 

[Berylanna]

I downloaded the form, and while it looks GREAT for reporting problems, the wording makes it look like they don't want to hear about ineffectiveness.

What do I put for side-effects? "Lighter wallet" ?

I am also one of those people for whom Wellbutrin acts like a sugar pill. I know that is not typical, it works for my daughter for its original purpose (which was not to quit smoking) and helped a teensy bit for smoking cessation. Her main reason for successfully quitting was hubby HATES smoking with a passion and she started having kids.

 

[Petrodus]

I downloaded the form, and while it looks GREAT for reporting problems, the wording makes it look like they don't want to hear about ineffectiveness.

What do I put for side-effects? "Lighter wallet" ?

I am also one of those people for whom Wellbutrin acts like a sugar pill. I know that is not typical, it works for my daughter for its original purpose (which was not to quit smoking) and helped a teensy bit for smoking cessation. Her main reason for successfully quitting was hubby HATES smoking with a passion and she started having kids.

Why don't you just not fill out the forum
and staple a personal note to it ... and mail it in.

The note:
When the government responds to our petition ...
I'll think about filling out your form.

 

[wv2win]

Hey Digi,

Try writing to the MHRA to complain, and tell them the FDA is way ahead of them

On a serious note - I doubt if anyone knows how many people Champix has killed in the UK, it's the sort of figure the MHRA are paid to bury. I asked a doctor (in London) what the professions' perception of the dangers of Champix was, and he told me that he had no idea it was risky*.

So I think that like the 40% of doctors in the UK/Sweden** who think nicotine is the most harmful compound in tobacco smoke (when it's probably about a millionth as harmful as the smoke), and the 44% who think nicotine is associated with cancer (when it is proven to have no association), and the 15% who think NRTs cause cancer (I've run out of possible comments on their general ignorance in this area), many doctors appear to be completely in the dark about this topic area.

If anyone can think of a way to educate doctors then I'm all ears.


* In contrast I did hear of a doctor (and it might have been here on ECF), who when asked if he would prescribe Chantix, replied that his advice would be to continue smoking as it's safer.

** From a survey of doctors in the UK and Sweden:
Tobacco Harm Reduction Affected By GP's Belief That Nicotine Is A Harmful Cigarette-Smoke Component

I've vaped for my Primary Care Physician, my Cardiologist, my Podiatrist, my Gastro enologist and my Dentist. I also gave them all information from CASAA on vaping. My PCP and Dentist now recommends vaping to their smoking patients. The Cardiologist is a big supporter and recommends it also. The other two were unfamiliar with vaping but both had a positive impression after I explained and showed it to them.

I think everyone of us who vapes should personally educate our doctors on it and it's effectiveness.

 

[DaveP]

I downloaded the form, and while it looks GREAT for reporting problems, the wording makes it look like they don't want to hear about ineffectiveness.

What do I put for side-effects? "Lighter wallet" ?

I am also one of those people for whom Wellbutrin acts like a sugar pill. I know that is not typical, it works for my daughter for its original purpose (which was not to quit smoking) and helped a teensy bit for smoking cessation. Her main reason for successfully quitting was hubby HATES smoking with a passion and she started having kids.

My wife is taking Wellbutrin now. It's helping her to smoke much less but keeping her awake at night (common symptom). She views vaping as a crutch. It is a crutch in the sense that it helps take people off tobacco and onto something much safer, but I view it as a substitute. I enjoyed the physical act of smoking and missed it terribly when I'd try to quit. I took to vaping like a fish to water and probably won't give it up any time soon.

Vaping is to cigarettes as Diet Coke is to regular Coke ... but a much more satisfying replacement.

 

[DaveP]

Seems like the FDA needs to do some testing. They say they just don't know about ecig safety.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm173401.htm

“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” says Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.

The agency is concerned that

e-cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death
the products may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans
because clinical studies about the safety and efficacy of these products for their intended use have not been submitted to FDA, consumers currently have no way of knowing 1) whether e-cigarettes are safe for their intended use, or 2) about what types or concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals or what dose of nicotine they are inhaling when they use these products.

 

[Berylanna]

I do not apologize for my caffeine addiction or my nicotine addiction or my difficulty being attracted to alcohol. It's a depressant and I find depressants ....depressing. It's just not attractive, which makes me "boring" to the majority of the population. Too bad.

I have traditionally had such low blood pressure that an ER nurse once asked me if I am sure I'm alive, and one glass of wine before dinner makes me too tired to stay awake an hour before bedtime. It's how God made me, and I believe She knew what she was doing.

I'm left-handed and don't apologize for that either. I think differently than a lot of people and don't apologize for that. Or for being a woman. Or an American. Or much of anything else, especially metabolic or other things that are the way I was born.

If nicotine is a crutch, so are cars, appliances, any job that is neither farming nor hunter-gathering, and for sure phones and the internet.

I'm a good engineer, a good mom, a good grandmother, an adequate daughter, and a horrible housekeeper. Too bad. I'm me, and I'll either vape or smoke. My kids want me to "give up tar" so I'm going that direction.

 

[Berylanna]

Seems like the FDA needs to do some testing. They say they just don't know about ecig safety.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm173401.htm

And of course nobody the FDA hired is smart enough to read scientific papers, surf the Internet, understand population studies, or listen intelligently to testimony at their own hearings.

And they have funding for a lot of lawyers (I noticed a lot of those when they introduce FDA personnel) but they couldn't sample another 20 cartriges or a couple of bottles of high-end e-liquid from American suppliers.

Can we maybe hire some scientists there?

 

[Berylanna]

Seems like the FDA needs to do some testing. They say they just don't know about ecig safety.

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm173401.htm

And of course nobody the FDA hired is smart enough to read scientific papers, surf the Internet, understand population studies, or listen intelligently to testimony at their own hearings.

And they have funding for a lot of lawyers (I noticed a lot of those when they introduce FDA personnel) but they couldn't sample another 20 cartriges or a couple of bottles of high-end e-liquid from American suppliers.

Can we maybe hire some scientists there?

 

[JJOOHHNN]

This needs to be bumped regularly. Not enough people have seen it I don't think.

 

[Elnroth]

This needs to be bumped regularly. Not enough people have seen it I don't think.

A bump for great justice!

 

[AgentAnia]

And of course nobody the FDA hired is smart enough to read scientific papers, surf the Internet, understand population studies, or listen intelligently to testimony at their own hearings.

And they have funding for a lot of lawyers (I noticed a lot of those when they introduce FDA personnel) but they couldn't sample another 20 cartriges or a couple of bottles of high-end e-liquid from American suppliers.

Can we maybe hire some scientists there?

Scientists? You want FDA to hire SCIENTISTS?!! To do real sciency experiments!? Oh dear, I don't think soooo! Scientists might be objective... They might inadvertently stumble across evidence that doesn't fit the BP.... er, I mean FDA agenda. And if they did, and [gasp] word got out, BP.... er, I mean FDA might actually have to pay attention to it! Oh no no NO, oh dear oh dear oh dear that simply wouldn't do....

 

[Petrodus]

I'm a little curious as to why the FDA didn't call the NSA
to get information !!

 

[DaveP]

It's either dangerous or safer than cigarettes. Cigarettes are legal. What should a safer alternative be? I think the government believes it's missing out on the tax potential but can't quite get a handle on how to deal with it. They like their taxes clean and neat and paid by everyone.

I really think that the FDA feels out of the loop on the control aspect of something that's slowly taking over their cash cow and they are frantically trying to get a noose on nicotine delivery. The market is changing and taxation is moving from the retail POS market to mail order. They stopped mail order sales of tobacco for the same reason. They thought kids were ordering cigarettes using their parents' credit cards.

Our government is trying to protect us again.