Our Elected Officials are Ignorant Concerning E-Cigs!

[Black Strat]

I contacted my Senator urging him to prevent the FDA from impacting our ability to use e-cigarettes. Here is his ignorant reply:

January 24, 2013



Dear Robert:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulations on electronic cigarette devices. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

As you may know, President Barack Obama signed H.R. 1256, The Family Smoking Prevention and tobacco Control Act, into public law in June 2009. This measure grants the FDA authority to regulate tobacco products in order to reduce and prevent youth tobacco use.

While I generally oppose increased federal regulatory burdens on products in the free market, I voted for this legislation for several reasons. The extreme expense that tobacco usage inflicts upon Americans, through heavier tax burdens and other societal and economic costs, justifies the regulation that H.R 1256 stipulates on tobacco. I will examine any future tobacco-related bills on a case by case basis and will keep your thoughts in mind when doing so.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos, and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo's Homepage.

Sincerely,

Mike Crapo
United States Senator

 

[gthompson]

Allow me to translate that for you Strat

Dear Robert:

Shut up and keep sending us your tax dollars.

Sincerely,

Mike Crapo
United States Senator

 

[TraceyS]

And his name is Crapo

Tracey

 

[gthompson]

And his name is Crapo

Tracey

I too found that somehow quite appropriate.

 

[Jman8]

I think it's relatively fair / reasoned. Which part did you take issue with? Is it the 'extreme expense that tobacco usage inflicts upon Americans' part? I think he somewhat counters that, in relation to your inquiry, with the language of 'case by case basis and will keep your thoughts in mind when doing so.' Have enough people that share your thoughts convey similar ideas to him, and he might see what I think you may note as 'light of day.' Then again, he may not.

For now, vaping (eLiquid) is a tobacco product.

 

[Black Strat]

And his name is Crapo

Tracey

This is the same Senator, a Mormon Bishop who was arrested for a DUI just before Christmas. I felt like asking him how he feels about the dangers to people from drunk drivers. Sheesh.

 

[gthompson]

For now, vaping (eLiquid) is a tobacco product.

Even when it isn't.

 

[Black Strat]

I think it's relatively fair / reasoned. Which part did you take issue with? Is it the 'extreme expense that tobacco usage inflicts upon Americans' part? I think he somewhat counters that, in relation to your inquiry, with the language of 'case by case basis and will keep your thoughts in mind when doing so.' Have enough people that share your thoughts convey similar ideas to him, and he might see what I think you may note as 'light of day.' Then again, he may not.

For now, vaping (eLiquid) is a tobacco product.

What is not reasonable is that in my letter I discussed the positive impact of e-cigarettes versus tobacco cigarettes. His response indicates he equates the two. That is the ignorance.

 

[Jman8]

What is not reasonable is that in my letter I discussed the positive impact of e-cigarettes versus tobacco cigarettes. His response indicates he equates the two. That is the ignorance.

Hmmm, not reading it like that. His out of a 'case by case' basis says he might think differently on a bill that comes before him having specifically to do with eCigs given your thoughts (and perhaps others) on the matter.

 

[VA Slim]

Well, now Doomsday Prepping is starting to make sense to me. Gotta love politicians and their blanket statements. One word comes to mind, "clueless".

 

[kaos95]

I am at just under 50 emails to my various elected officials. And I admit they tend to be on niche problems that the feds are talking about regulating. In general (I say general, but I could say across the board because I have never gotten an informed opinion from any of them) they are completely and willfully ignorant of most issues I am bringing up.

 

[lightbud404]

it's a conspiracy to have us back on the analogs.

 

[Jman8]

Even when it isn't.

Kinda sorta isn't.

The nicotine in eLiquid is derived from tobacco, is it not?

 

[DJ RyckRak]

I would not hold it against him- he is just unaware what this e-cig/vapping thing is all about, as are most of the general population.
We need to educate him, and the general population, remembering that the average reading level of most Americans is 6th grade, so go light with jargon. To most people Nicotene and Tobbaco are the same.
Educate.

 

[xsphat]

Sounds like a form letter to me. I bet if your cat send an email that said "Meow, e-cigarette" you'd get a nearly identical email.

 

[Sophearith Kenneth Prom]

this kind of thinking worries me...

 

[xsphat]

this kind of thinking worries me...

Me too. Another thing I'm concerned about is whether new taxes and regulations will be applied to non-nic juice as well.

 

[DC2]

Form letter.

The more letters you send to politicians, the more you'll get used to them.
And I strongly suspect Crapo never even read the letter, just one of his staffers.

If I have something that I want them to hear and understand, I call them.
Even then I only get to speak with a staffer, but at least I know they have to hear what I'm saying.

If you REALLY want to get them to hear, then make an appointment to go see them.

None of this means we should not write letters though.
It is the number of letters on a given topic that really matters, so they know it is an important issue to their constituents.

 

[Unc1987]

Let's go have a vape-a-thon in the Capitol

 

[junkman]

I think it's relatively fair / reasoned. Which part did you take issue with? Is it the 'extreme expense that tobacco usage inflicts upon Americans' part? I think he somewhat counters that, in relation to your inquiry, with the language of 'case by case basis and will keep your thoughts in mind when doing so.' Have enough people that share your thoughts convey similar ideas to him, and he might see what I think you may note as 'light of day.' Then again, he may not.

For now, vaping (eLiquid) is a tobacco product.

I have noticed since you have been around this forum, you are repeatedly attempting to minimize concern over FDA regulation and overly sympathetic to a viewpoint that most vapers know is not justified.

Explain yourself.