List of MP's and PM candidates. Please find yours and contact them asap

Obviously this is the person we need to contact, right???? I just sent one, and the more similar emails she gets, the more attention she may give the issue. There is a link on the Health Canada website where you can send her an email: Contact the Minister - Health Canada

 

100% agreed

 

E-mails keep getting ignored. After sending an e-mail to my MP every week, I am getting it further. Now I am sending e-mail and calling his office once a week. I encourage you all to do the same

 

I got a call from a solicitor asking if I was supporting their party. So I asked who what their stance was on e cigs and what health canada was doing with their bullying tactics, and would this government be willing to fight for my freedom of choice if elected. She was just calling around but quite articulate and we had a fun conversation... she mentioned they did want to legalize medical mj. so they do fight for some stuff... she told me where to find info to contact their health advisor (it's on their home site) and I contacted my local constituent and awaiting their reply. if they can call me looking for my vote then better be willing to talk to me too if you want it. we have 3 votes in this house and all will vote the same

I did mention that I had only recieved one reply ever on anything and that was the green party and tbh I have voted for them the last 3 yrs. but ndp would have a better chance of actually getting in, in all reality.

I sat and thought out my letter, tried to write something of worth. Very point form, with a short intro. they won't read some long letter. so sending a novel isn't a good idea to generate a conversation.

 

Here is my letter: I sent it to Penny and Leona


I am writing to tell you that I am disappointed as a Canadian citizen who chooses to use an e-cigarette in place of my regular tobacco cigarettes. I have found recently that supplies are becoming hard to come by, due to recent changes in Health Canada's classification of the products I use.

I have had two heart attacks, and I am only 43 years old. Before you post the link to the "How to Stop Smoking" website that Health Canada believes is working to change tobacco habits, let me tell you this. I have tried everything. and with the (HC approved drugs) Chantix and Zyban, I was angry and horribly depressed, the completely useless NRT schemes, the therapy groups... you name it, I continued to smoke tobacco cigarettes. even the anvil of death hanging over my head with the heart attacks and subsequent stenting and angiograms.....nothing was enough to make me quit smoking.

Then I tried an electronic cigarette. It wasn't exactly the same as smoking a cigarette, but I find that when I "vape" on my electronic cigarette in place of smoking, the whole ritual is there for me. The need is being met without combustion or the 4000+ other chemicals and carcinogens that are present in a traditional tobacco cigarette (which are readily available to me if I run out of e-cigarette supplies I guess)

I did not go into this blind. I read the studies on Tobacco Harm reduction from the University of Alberta, I read, I joined forums, I read some more, I joined forums to assess the experience of other people using electronic cigarettes. I chose products that had some standards attached to them, and I felt I could trust. Now is the part where you reply to me that if a supplier would apply for approval from Health Canada, it may be considered. I will reply to that before you even reach for the keyboard.

If an ecigarette is considered a drug delivery device, with nicotine being the drug, it will take YEARS for approval to be granted. I will be dead from smoking and it won't matter to me one bit IF it ever got approved. That being said, Tim Hortons doesn't seem to need approval for their cups as drug delivery devices, with caffeine being most Canadians drug of choice.

My family physician and my cardiologist have been impressed with all of the positive changes to my health by using the e-cig and I can't tell you how much better I feel. When my current stockpile of supplies runs out I will have to go back to smoking as nothing else has worked for me including all of the other nicotine based quit smoking aids provided by the drug companies. Please explain to me why this action needs to be taken by Health Canada. Cigarettes are sold openly and they contain nicotine along with 1000s of other carcinogens and chemicals? Should it not be my choice to choose the less harmless one?

I have less and less faith in this government and Health Canada. It certainly doesn't feel like I am living in the home of the free. Please have your department reconsider the value of electronic cigarettes as an alternative to tobacco, and restore my faith.
Sincerely,

 

That's really well written. Good job!

 

I think it might be a good idea to produce our own form mail. I like grlsaints but find it a little long. We need to put as much factual information as possible and cite our rights. I'll work on something but any support would be appreciated! Thx.

 

well 2 months later I finally recieved a response. View attachment 11-002582-358FINAL.pdf for the life of me I can't remember what I wrote, but the reply is complete BS. Nicotine is bad for you, blah,blah, blah, e-cigs fall under the food and drugs act and are a smoking cessation device, blah, blah, blah, a company would need to submit evidence (i.e. timely and expensive research) before they can be approved. I don't think any company would want to open that can of worms for market authorization, so obviously none have applied. Then the last half of the letter has absolutely nothing to do with e-cigs. The crap they try to spoon feed us is ridiculous.

 

ok, long story short, while trying to go to epuff.ca , my browser autofilled url to epuffer.ca ... never heard of them before and none of the links on the site work, but what I did find interesting was this

so I had to look into this, I found this thread on ECF forum from 2 years ago http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/canada-forum/23083-why-only-epuffer.html which contains word for word the first half of the reply I received from the honorable minister of health. I can't believe that NOTHING has changed in 2 years!!! There is research out there now to back up e-cigs, and companies are no longer making health claims as a smoking cessation device. Sorry, I am not really going anywhere with this, just venting, lol.

 

We still writing letters? I hope so!

lelly, --> I love how they mention gosmokefree(dot)ca in their response. It is amazing how the tobacco harm reduction is behind these but our own government isn't? Is it because they are afraid the loss of tax dollars may mean cuts to their jobs? "Electronic cigarettes typically contain Nicotine, which is a highly addictive and toxic substance" - Okay they shut it down, and have NOT done anything since, and we as Canadian e-cig users are okay with that? They are slowly but surely shutting us down. This letter was written on June 7th, I do believe the suppliers of London drugs MUST have market authorization to sell e-cigs. I am presuming this had to have been written before that?
Did you write a response back? Just curious as to where this has gone?

 

For those interested in drawing more media attention posting info for CBC Market place, if we have enough people contact them you never know. Suppliers with copies of warnings they received, info on how new laws can affect this, and users with their personal stories. Don't know unless we try

Contact Marketplace

Got a gripe? Getting the runaround? Fighting the good fight? Let Marketplace know. You can get in touch with us a few different ways:
Phone:
1-866-535-3786 (toll-free)

Fax:
416-205-2246 Mailing Address:
CBC News: Marketplace
P.O. Box 500
Station A
Toronto, ON
M5W 1E6
Email: marketplace@cbc.ca


Confidential Tips - CBC I-Team

Alex Freedman Tipline: (204) 788-3744
E-mail the I-Team, link found on this page.

-------------------------------------------

Letter : sent out by HC to suppliers provided by smokum

------------------------------------------

Feel free to also contact Peggy Dolha-Goodman of Calgary, she likes to get involved on HC behave Her email is: ultral@telus.net
A Watch Dog if you will. - provided by lilstrawberry
------------------------------------------------

Link to article about Bill C36, another article

Another source for concern Canadian Coalition for Electronic Rights » Send A Letter To Ottawa To Stop The Canadian DMCA -provided by mikeinbc

-------------------------------------------
Another Media contact provided by Mel in the FB Canadians Against the Electronic Cigarette Ban Group

Mel:
Have a hot tip you'd like to see us chase down for a future episode? Or maybe you have some questions about the program. The producers of 16x9 want you to get in touch with them, and here's how.
Email:

tips@global16x9.com
Telephone:

1-877-TELL-1691-877-835-5169
Conventional mail:
16x9:Global Television81 Barber Greene RdToronto, ONM3C 2A2

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CTV News

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Ask Us segment on CTV National News: askus@ctv.ca
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CJOB- Manitoba
Mailing Address:
CJOB
1440 Jack Blick Ave.
Unit 200
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3G 0L4
Phone Numbers:
Phone : 204-786-2471
Fax : 204-783-4512
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Also does anyone have info to the following:

Lawyers that would be willing to comment of legality of the existing laws/pratices being used by HC to prevent the e-cig with nic from coming to the market.
:: Canadian Constitution Foundation pro-bono lawyers -provided by torozzgrl

Doctors with a good understanding of e-cigs and the benefits and supportive of the product.

If so please post any links to contact info... as we can never have to much info for members to access.


______________________

 

link to pro-bono lawyers. Maybe one of them uses an e-cig! :: Canadian Constitution Foundation

 

this is an interesting read and contains a good link to a paper written by a former medical officer in New Zealand with regards to the safety of e-cigs. Ok so NZ isn't here but....it's still good info
http://fightantismokertyranny.blogspot.com/2009/04/health-canada-to-rescue-big-pharma-from.html

 

*Removed as i got feedback on this post *

 

No more of that $h|t. ECTA will save us !

 

The message above was done by another who hacked my account.

 

Thanks for sharing the link.

 

This is what I sent today to my MP and as follows:




Date: 19 February, 2013 3:36:44 PM CST
To: "pat.martin.c1@parl.gc.ca" <pat.martin.c1@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: "marketplace@cbc.ca" <marketplace@cbc.ca>, "ultral@telus.net" <ultral@telus.net>, "tips@global16x9.com" <tips@global16x9.com>, "health@ctv.ca" <health@ctv.ca>, "viewers@globalnational.com" <viewers@globalnational.com>, "newsonline@ctv.ca" <newsonline@ctv.ca>, "news@ctv.ca" <news@ctv.ca>
Subject: Health Canada is preventing my access to a healthier alternative to smoking

Dear Mr Martin,

I have never written anyone about my Government before but I feel that I must now. I saw your ad in the West Broadway Biz where you asked the question "Need help with a Federal Issue...please contact me". I have been a smoker for about 25 years. Recently, while at my home in Florida, I was speaking to a gentleman that had switched to a less harmful alternative to smoking called "vaping". He went on to say that he had been a 2 pack a day smoker but since getting his personal vaporizer (PV) he had been able to avoid smoking for 2 weeks. I had heard about e cigarettes, which are basically a smaller version of PV's but dismissed them as the fad of the moment. However, I must admit that this evidence was quite compelling

I went to the store (by the way I should mention that this store sells e cigarettes and PV's as well as their components only and you must be of legal age to get into the store.) and discussed with the owner my smoking habits. He recommended an e cigarette that is rechargeable and has a small amount of nicotine in it as I was not a heavy smoker. I bought it and took it home and began to do some research on it. I found that the solution is made up of only the following ingredients:

1. Polypropylene Glycol - FDA approved and used in asthma inhalers
2. Vegetable Glycerin - FDA approved and Kosher is used to make the vapour
3. Nicotine - in levels that were at or below the levels found in Nicorette and Nicotrol
4. Flavour - commonly used everywhere

I also found scientific studies some dating back 50 years that studied the safety in inhaling propylene glycol. In one study it was used with patients that had chronic bronchitis and COPD to help them cough up the gunk in their lungs from smoking so that it could be tested for cancer.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/general-e-smoking-discussion/164069-studies-inhalation-effects-vaporized-pg.html?referrerid=118206

Medicine: Air Germicide - TIME

JAMA Network | JAMA | Sputum Cytology After Inhalation of Heated Propylene GlycolA Clinical Correlation

Apparently the US FDA was concerned because they tried to block the sale of e cigarettes in the US but lost their battle in Court.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/attachments/legislation-news/37970d1304995984-se-njoy-vs-fda-court-dockets-updates-njoy-v.-fda-final-order.pdf

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/attachments/legislation-news/37970d1304995984-se-njoy-vs-fda-court-dockets-updates-njoy-v.-fda-final-order.pdf

Anyway, armed with this info I began using the e cigarette and to my amazement I have been smoke free for over 1 month now!!! This is truly amazing for me, I feel better, my skin looks better, I breathe easier, I don't stink, My teeth and fingers aren't stained but most importantly, I do not crave tobacco cigarettes...not at all!!

Naturally I am thrilled however, I have discovered that Health Canada is trying to do the same things as the US FDA did. I have no access to these products with Nicotine in Canada and so essentially they are forcing me to go back to smoking and compromising my health. I WILL NOT stand for this.

I am not politically motivated, nor do I care much about the impact this may have on tobacco industries or pharmaceutical sales. I am however concerned about my own health. Regardless of what I read in the media, that is chocked full of inaccuracies and errors of omission and commission, I know the health benefits that I have already gained after just a short time of discovering this critical alternative to smoking. I will not be misguided by Health Canada to use their NRT's that are:

1. ineffective - only a 1.6% success rate
2. have been proven to cause suicide (I also take an anti depressant, so I am not going to even entertain the idea of taking Champix)

Mr. Martin, you may be my only line of defence. I realize that this letter may seem that I want this for my own selfish needs however I truly believe that if available, this alternative to smoking can and will save Canadians.
I simply cannot sit back and ignore it anymore.

Sincerely,



Here is more of my research:

Study done by an Independent Third Party which proves FDAs claims to be false and highlights weaknesses in their study.

http://www.stop-tabac.ch/fra/images/stories/documents_stop_tabac/exponent%20response-to-the-fda-summary.pdf

FDAs original study where they wanted to classify e cigs as medical devices.

Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA

And revised after they lost in court.

Tobacco Product Regulation

 

Kudos to everyone fighting for fairness. Thank you for your efforts.

 

I question why we need to be contacting MPs in Canada when ecigs with nicotine are already 100% legal and already regulated by laws. Granted they are sort of slipping in under 'consumer products' but if that's where the govnt has decided they belong then why not just leave it alone? Seems to me if they're already allowed to be sold under certain law there's no point in drawing attention to it needlessly.