If You Commented on the AAPHP Petitions

[Vocalek]

FDA's policy is to NOT post comments that were left with "Individual Consumer" selected as the Submitter Category. (They want to protect your privacy, they say.)

Mister has discovered that 330 comments were left for the petition to reclassify e-cigarettes and that 193 were left for the petition to correct the misleading press release that implied PVs are more likely to cause cancer than tobacco cigarettes.

When you go to the Regulations.gov site, the comments credited are only 74 and 37.

In the future, when I leave a comment, I will be selecting "Consumer Group" as my Submitter Category and listing CASAA as my organization name.


If you left a comment that is not being displayed:

Please contact the FDA Division of Dockets Management at 301-827-6860 to inquire about the status of your comment and let them know that you want yours to be published.

Document numbers are FDA-2010-P-0095 and FDA-2010-P-0093

If you have your comment tracking number, that makes it easier, but they can search by your first name / last name.

Let's make sure that our voices do not go unheard!

 

[Vocalek]

Not a lot of response here. Now the numbers are up to 75 and 40.

Where are the other 255/153 of you?

And why did so few people make a comment to chastise the FDA for putting out misleading and harmful information to the American Public (petiton FDA-2010-P-0093)?

OK, maybe I have been lax in providing sufficient information. In March 2009, FDA began seizing shipments of incoming electronic cigarettes. The FDA was subsequently sued by Smoking Everywhere, joined by njoy, (two of the largest retail suppliers) on grounds that FDA has no authority to regulate the products, becauses they are not drugs or medical devices.

In July 2009, FDA held a press conference announcing they had examined 18 cartridges and determined that electronic cigarettes contain carcinogins and toxic chemicals, including the ingredient used in anti-freeze. The propaganda had the intended efffect of convincing all of the major news organizations that electronic cigarettes must be more dangerous to health than smoking tobacco cigarettes. Was it just coincidence that only two company's cartridges were tested -- the two companies suing the FDA?

FDA left out a few details. Such as the quantity of "carcinogens":

Electronic cigarette - 8 nanograms
Marlboro cigarettes - 11,190 nanograms

Also, what about the number of carcinogens? FDA found only one category of carcinogens, Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamines (TSNAs) in some of the cartridges. Tobacco cigarettes contain hundreds of carcinogens.

Diethylene Glycol (DEG) the ingredient FDA refers to as anti-freeze, is no longer used in anti-freeze. DEG is, however, used in tobacco to help keep it moist (a "humectant"). I suspect that FDA is aware of the facts about DEG and purposely referred to DEG as anti-freeze to alarm the public.

In my comment, I called on the FDA to conduct a new test comparing the substances and quantities of each found in the vapor and in the smoke from an equivalent number of tobacco cigarettes.

 

[rothenbj]

When I called about why mine were not posted, there system was "slow" and the woman who I spoke with told me she would have to get back to me. I got a phone call back after I left the house so I called them back. Since I didn't use the citizen category, but instead identified myself as part of the Pharma industry (retired from there), I questioned why it wasn't posted.

He said he had a lot of comments to process. He must be doing them one at a month or something along that line. He started in on people putting personal information in that had to be edited, addresses, etc. I think what we have here is a desire to keep the public comments low. Just my opinion, but you be the judge.

 

[CES]

Finally had my tracking numbers AND the chance to make the call... my comments should be posted soon

 

[ArdentHope]

Wow, I am new to e-cigs (not knowing they existed to vaping every day now - Apr. 7th to date). I guess my definition of freedom differs from my governments'. Please post whatever links you have so that I can learn more and maybe help. Every voice counts.

The longer I think about this, the more my blood boils.