FDA National Call to Action! Stop the FDA from banning nearly ALL vapor products from the market!

[JustJulie]

A provision (Sec. 747) in this year’s budget bill could save the U.S. vapor industry from being destroyed by the overbearing and burdensome FDA premarket application process.

CASAA is asking members to voice support for a provision in this year’s budget bill that would change the grandfather date for products that are about to be subject to the FDA’s tobacco regulations. This provision would essentially include the Cole bill language -- HR 2058 -- and require the FDA to move the grandfather date to the effective date of the final regulation.

Without a change in the February 2007 grandfather date, more than 99% of vapor products currently on the market will be gone within two years. This is not hyperbole. The cost of obtaining premarket approvals with the FDA’s Center for tobacco Products is intentionally prohibitive, and all indications are that there will be no significant exemptions made for vapor products.

If Congress does not act to change the grandfather date established by the tobacco Control Act, the wide variety of vapor products that adult smokers have come to rely on to live smoke-free will be swept off the market.

Even if you’ve taken action before, your voice is needed now.

Please take action NOW by contacting your Representative and Senators!

Direct link to email campaign: National Call to Action! Stop the FDA from banning nearly ALL vapor products from the market!

Direct link to phone campaign: National Call to Action! Make a Call to stop the FDA from banning nearly ALL vapor products from the market!

See details in the full Call to Action: CASAA: National Call to Action! Stop the FDA from banning nearly ALL vapor products from the market!

 

[Rossum]

It's against my nature to ask the goobermint for anything at all, and there's not a dang thing they can do that would stop me from vaping for the rest of my life, but I realize not everyone is in that position, so -- DONE -- with e-mail wording slightly tweaked.

 

[roxynoodle]

Email sent. Getting ready to call.

 

[WindyCityJoe]

Emails sent

 

[Jman8]

Done. Email slightly tweaked. Compelled to bring up how not adjusting grandfather date will create an illegal market and reek havoc on all levels of government.

 

[Kent C]

Done. also tweaked.

 

[JustJulie]

I'm glad to see people "tweaking" their emails . . . and I'm very much hoping that some of those tweeks include a sentence or two about your personal story.

 

[skoony]

Ditto.
Mike

 

[Jman8]

I'm glad to see people "tweaking" their emails . . . and I'm very much hoping that some of those tweeks include a sentence or two about your personal story.

I thought I was going to have to tweak email about my being saved by using this products to help me quit smoking. Very glad I didn't have to tweak it in that way. My personal story is that of a dual user. Sometimes I'm really up for telling that story, as I have pride in it, but today wasn't one of those times. I thought the version you all provided, was fine, except for not mentioning the black market aspect. I'm very happy to add that in there on my own.

 

[JustJulie]

Jman--There's only so much we can put in an email without it becoming a complete wall of text.

For what it's worth, we intend to make the black market point in our 12-15-15 meeting with OIRA.

 

[Katya]

I'm glad to see people "tweaking" their emails . . . and I'm very much hoping that some of those tweeks include a sentence or two about your personal story.

Added my short personal statement and my favorite Zeller quotes:

Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, has said the following:

"If we could get all of those people [who can't or won’t quit smoking conventional cigarettes] to completely switch all of their cigarettes to the non-combustible products that would be good for public health."

"It is not the nicotine that kills half of all long-term cigarette smokers. The nicotine creates and sustains the addictions, but it's not the nicotine that kills people."

I know, I'm easily amused...

Julie, can we write something to the OMB/OIRA? As a CTA?

 

[DC2]

I see the CASAA website has been updated!

• CASAA has over 119,000 registered members

 

[JustJulie]

Katya--

We're not aware of any way for individual consumers to directly offer input to OIRA, but we're still looking.

That being said, CASAA is meeting with OIRA December 15, and we are printing and taking with us the testimonials we've collected as part of our Testimonials Project. To date, we've collected more than 7,300 testimonials. We're asking consumers to submit their testimonials in the next week if they wish to be included in the OIRA submission. (We need some time to print them all out and arrange for them to be shipped.)

For those who haven't yet done so, please submit your testimonial and encourage others to do the same: CASAA Testimonials | Share Your Story!

 

[Katya]

Thanks, Julie, and godspeed!

 

[JustJulie]

I should also mention that we're expecting to release a survey this week to obtain more data for our meeting with OIRA.

 

[Kent C]

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Q&A’s

OIRA and its Relationship with Parties outside the Executive Branch
10. Does OIRA talk to or meet with particular interest groups?

Answer: OIRA’s policy is to meet with any party interested in discussing issues, whether they are from State or local governments, small business or other business or industry interests, or from the environmental, health or safety communities. Under OIRA procedures, as set forth in Executive Order 12866, if such meetings concern regulations under review, they must be conducted by the OIRA Administrator or a specific designee, and a log, available on OIRA’s website, is kept of such meetings.

12. How can outside parties best make their ideas about rules under review known to OIRA?

Answer: Outside parties may provide written comments to the OIRA Administrator on a rule that is under review or may soon be under review. Those parties may also request a meeting with the Administrator.

13. What is the best way to communicate with OIRA?

Answer: The best way to communicate with OIRA is by fax at (202) 395-3047. We are still experiencing serious delays in the regular and overnight mail due to the procedures instituted to strengthen security. Any thoughts you may wish to convey to us would be appreciated.

As I understand this it is for those groups above - underlined. However, there's a fax number :- )

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

I sent my email today and tweaked it.

I hope it does something but I have this sinking feeling this ship has already sailed. However, one must continue to fight!

 

[Rossum]

Answer: The best way to communicate with OIRA is by fax at (202) 395-3047.

Stuck in somewhere in the last coupla decades of the 20th century, are they?

 

[choochoogranny]

Sent. First paragraph a very short description of my story then on to "business".

 

[Brkdnc]

Done