Latest news on FDA tobacco legislative situation in the US Senate

[LuckyCharm]

Cheryl - I love the "accidental quitter" part. So true!

I actually got that from a fellow forum member, who graciously granted permission to use it.

One note: FDA does not oppose this bill (my understanding). They have been looking forward to this since at least 94!

Oops! Well, the article I read said they did. Should have done more digging!

Some groups who do: Association of Public Health Physicians, some units of tobaccofree.org, Michael Siegel of TobaccoAnalysis

Might make a good excuse for another fax, to correct the previous one. When I get time, maybe I'll try to compile a list of ALL the organizations that oppose it.

wonderful though. If you head to the hill... stop into the Capital Grille and have a stoley doley for me. Just one though... and make sure you eat so you aren't off of your rocker! mmmmm.... stoley doley (insert homer smilie here)

Oh, I meant their local offices here in Tacoma! Never visited DC before, actually. But thanks for the tip!

~~Cheryl

 

[LuckyCharm]

It is a FORMER head of the FDA who opposes the bill, not the FDA per se. Good letter otherwise.

Hmm, thanks. That's what I get for taking a news article at face value! Shoulda done my checking...

~~Cheryl

 

[majormom72]

Frankly, because the government does not give a rats ... about our health. Harry Reid, the FDA and every other worthless piece of crap in the government cares about one thing and one thing only. Money, how much can I get in the time I am here. The worst part is that even though everyone knows this, the same .......s are continuously re-elected to office. Sorry for the rant, but it really pisses me off.

TOTALLY AGREE!
if every smoker were to switch to e-cigs or "vaping" overnight, how the hell would the government pay its bills tomorrow!?

Any official who is saying he or she is primarily concerned about health or safety with this product must be completely ignorant for two reasons. One, in thinking that statements of the sort are even anywhere near acceptable and believable to the American people. And two, for being obviously blind to certain facts about smoking and the effects that the addiction has on smokers and their loved ones.

MAD TOO!

Terri

 

[Doc]

S

Here's the real scary part: The FDA, if given control of nicotine, will direct the tobacco companies to reduce the amt of nicotine in their cigarettes, in an attempt to make cigarettes less and less addictive. Clear thinkers can see that if you put less of the addictive substance in a cigarette, yon smokers are going to smoke MORE cigarettes to get their fix....

This has been proven actually. www cancer.gov/newscenter/lowtar

 

[saintgadreel]

Doc, thats exactly what I referenced when I sent letters to my state senators today. Good find

 

[ladyraj]

The provisions of HR 1256 offer an interesting standard in regards to nicotine and tar. Nicotine could be reduced, while tar can not be reduced to 0! Think about that a moment...what is the logic? If the e-cig proponants use the less harm concept of pure nicotine (considered addictive) and NO TAR will it lessen the chance of being considered a smoking alternative to the protected cigarette? Thus, no grandfathering in with tobacco products and strengthing the definition for a new nicotine delivery device.

 

[silverfox]

id like to see a comparison between the effects of nicotine vs caffeine..ie: how do these ( e-cigs ) stack up against a cup of coffee?...maybe i should be careful what i wish for but, it would be nice to have a frame of reference for comparison...would sure be nice if we could find (im sure it exists somewhere if someone knows where to look) a published statement that a certain concentration of nicotine is about the equivalent of a certain number of cups of coffee....of course...we may get coffee banned next...lol...

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Now... this is a mix of different things I have found along the way... so you have to take the sites they were found on and what they say for what they are... just more information to dig on or help you focus your opinion...

Nicotine 166 times more deadly than caffeine?
Nicotine: It may have a good side - MSN Health & Fitness - ADHD/ADD
Is Caffeine Addictive??A Review of the Literature
A Sneaky Drug
Caffeine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MedlinePlus: Caffeine

 

[silverfox]

WOW!...thanks Lacey ( nice name, by the way )..
i guess too much info can be confusing, those articles seem to dispute each other already, concerning hazards and benefiets...guess we may be better off sticking with a more direct argument concerning constitutional jurisdiction..lol..

 

[LaceyUnderall]

it is confusing...

but all you can do is find where you fall and hope that you make those decisions for yourself (and your family) that are right!

 

[Bill Godshall]

Per Lacy's posting, Nicotine 166 times more deadly than caffeine? was written by anti nicotine extremist John Polito at WhyQuit.com which provides and advocates cold turkey smoking cessation services.

Although virtually all public health experts fundamentally disagree with John's views on nicotine, John has done excellent work researching and exposing how the drug companies have cornered the market on smoking cessation products/services, bought off most smoking cessation researchers and the large health and anti tobacco organizations, duped the US Public Health Service and most of the anti tobacco movement and the public to believe that the only effective way to
quit smoking is by purchasing and using nicotine gums/lozenges/skin patches or other drugs sold by drug companies.

Please see Are cessation pharmacology quit smoking products such as NRT, Zyban and Chantix a sham upon smokers?

John also is correct that 85+% of former smokers quit via cold turkey.

 

[katink]

Perhaps good to avoid a possible mis-interpretation on the 85% just mentioned: this means that 85% of those that managed to quit, did so through the cold-turkey method. It doesn't mean that you have an 85% chance of quitting by choosing for the cold-turkey method.

(Yes, I know this sounds like it hardly needs to be clarified - but I'm seeing this 'mis-interpretation' being made with the gums and patches etc too; in that case a misinterpretation happily led on by the sellers of these of course, but nonetheless, loads of people are misled into believing the wrong/misleading figures given there - so just saying, just in case )

 

[IntoxiNation]

For people wanting to track the status of the Waxman bill, here is a good place:

OpenCongress - U.S. Congress - H.R.1256 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

 

[Steampunk]

For people wanting to track the status of the Waxman bill, here is a good place:

OpenCongress - U.S. Congress - H.R.1256 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

Thank you for that link.
"To protect the public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products, to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees' Retirement System, and for other purposes."


Isn't it peculiar how this bill encompasses a whole lot more than smoking prevention and tobacco control?

In the comments section, I discovered The GovTrack site where you can view amendments. I'm still toying around with the display tools but it looks useful. The display tools are on the left hand side.

GovTrack: H.R. 1256: Text of Legislation, Placed on Calendar Senate

 

[ladyraj]

Thank you for that link.
"To protect the public health by providing the Food and Drug Administration with certain authority to regulate tobacco products, to amend title 5, United States Code, to make certain modifications in the Thrift Savings Plan, the Civil Service Retirement System, and the Federal Employees' Retirement System, and for other purposes."


Isn't it peculiar how this bill encompasses a whole lot more than smoking prevention and tobacco control?

In the comments section, I discovered The GovTrack site where you can view amendments. I'm still toying around with the display tools but it looks useful. The display tools are on the left hand side.

GovTrack: H.R. 1256: Text of Legislation, Placed on Calendar Senate

The thrift savings plan effects government employees only. The provisions are to allow auto enrollment for employees...they even match contributions in 6 months. This, at a time when civilian programs have lost money and no longer give matching funds. The Cost-Benefit analysis pools funds for the FDA from the tobacco company with the TSP contributions to demonstrate the feasibility of the bill. I view the addition of the pension fund changes as another way to pad retirement for governent employees. No wonder the legislature is eager to act on it...there is a bonus in fringe benefits and they can hve bragging rights to controlling tobacco.