Dear Senator (Insert Name Here!),
As a smoker who hopes to become an ex-smoker, I deeply appreciate the importance of current tobacco legislation. I do not glorify this terribly addictive habit and have supported many recent measures to help curb tobacco use.
However, I am afraid I cannot support current tobacco legislation in the form of a bill sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Waxman and I hope I can count on you to also understand why this is not a wise use of legislation.
Firstly, I believe that this bill rather benefits the current tobacco establishment, protecting the smoking industry, and harming innovators. There are many provisions in this bill that tie the hands of the FDA, while ostensibly giving them control of tobacco products, such as those that prevent the actual banning of nicotine in cigarettes, or preventing the raising of the legal smoking age.
Mainly, however, Im alarmed at what this bill might do for certain recent developments that have greatly reduced my dependence on smoking. Recently, I have been using both Camels new product, Snus, and an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. I have successfully reduced my cigarette consumption from 30 or more a day to 4 6 a day. A significant difference!
The restrictive nature of the Waxman/Kennedy bill will kill innovations like these, and, by proxy, kill smokers like me. The FDA urges use of proven nicotine replacement therapies. Yet, for me, and millions of others, all that has been proven about these therapies is that they dont work. And this bill protects them, too, while constraining inventors.
Please, do not support this legislation -- that really only serves to keep smokers chained to our chain-smoking -- unless amendments are made to protect innovations such as electronic cigarettes. I (and my lungs!) thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
As a smoker who hopes to become an ex-smoker, I deeply appreciate the importance of current tobacco legislation. I do not glorify this terribly addictive habit and have supported many recent measures to help curb tobacco use.
However, I am afraid I cannot support current tobacco legislation in the form of a bill sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Waxman and I hope I can count on you to also understand why this is not a wise use of legislation.
Firstly, I believe that this bill rather benefits the current tobacco establishment, protecting the smoking industry, and harming innovators. There are many provisions in this bill that tie the hands of the FDA, while ostensibly giving them control of tobacco products, such as those that prevent the actual banning of nicotine in cigarettes, or preventing the raising of the legal smoking age.
Mainly, however, Im alarmed at what this bill might do for certain recent developments that have greatly reduced my dependence on smoking. Recently, I have been using both Camels new product, Snus, and an electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette. I have successfully reduced my cigarette consumption from 30 or more a day to 4 6 a day. A significant difference!
The restrictive nature of the Waxman/Kennedy bill will kill innovations like these, and, by proxy, kill smokers like me. The FDA urges use of proven nicotine replacement therapies. Yet, for me, and millions of others, all that has been proven about these therapies is that they dont work. And this bill protects them, too, while constraining inventors.
Please, do not support this legislation -- that really only serves to keep smokers chained to our chain-smoking -- unless amendments are made to protect innovations such as electronic cigarettes. I (and my lungs!) thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
