I sent a letter to Barbara Mikulski. It's long so if nobody here reads it I won't hold it against them. lol
Dear Senator Mikulski,
I am very concerned about the FDA's deeming regulations for the electronic cigarette industry. Myself and my wife are both responsible adults and have a family of 4 children. We both struggled for nearly a decade trying to quit smoking and we tried all the methods including cold turkey, nicotine replacement therapy, and even prescription drugs. None of these methods worked for more than a few months and it wasn't for lack of trying. The prescription medication attempt was a huge mistake. We've never been on any prescription drugs other than antibiotics and the side effects from the drugs were downright scary. I can't believe they are even allowed.
11 months ago my wife and I decided to try electronic cigarettes. It was an instant success and we both have not inhaled combustible tobacco smoke for almost a year and counting. We have both reduced our nicotine intake substantially since the beginning and our health has improved dramatically. I consider electronic cigarettes a modern health miracle that have the potential to save millions of Americans lives if the industry is allowed to flourish. We are not sure how long we will continue to use electronic cigarettes but that decision should be ours to make and not any branch of the Government.
The deeming regulations from the FDA has the potential to destroy the industry as we know it. As written, it can basically remove all the technology advancements that have been made since 2007. This technology has been paramount to the high success rate of getting Americans off of deadly tobacco smoke and replacing it with an exponentially less harmful alternative. Under the proposal, any accessory not on the market pre-2007 will require testing and approval. The cost of the approval process (and even the process itself) is extremely burdensome and will likely squash the majority of existing products and prevent new technology from entering the market. The proposed rules are backwards and poorly thought out. If the true goal of the American Government is to reduce the number of citizens using combustible tobacco products then the proposed rules MUST be changed.
It really makes no sense to me. All of the products operate the exact same way. Resistance wire heats a solution and turns it into vapor. A simple battery provides the power. Whether it's a small unit resembling a cigarette or a more advanced tank system, they are virtually identical in function. However, the more advanced systems are what makes the industry successful in keeping users from going to back to combustible tobacco products. The gas station disposable electronic cigarettes are not satisfying. They are not the answer and if the industry reverts back to old and poorly performing technology it will be at the expense of potentially millions of American lives.
Many of the regulations are being supported by misinformation and flat out lies from both regulators and the media. Nicotine does not cause cancer. Nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine. Studies (from places like NIH) have been done on the effects of nicotine that show no mortality, adverse health effects, or cancerous properties. The only thing that makes nicotine dangerous is delivering it through smoke that contains large quantities of toxic chemicals. The FDA has even approved nicotine replacement therapies for long term use.
Another key component to making electronic cigarettes satisfying enough to keep people from going back to combustible products are flavors. Users are trying to get away from the taste of tobacco and flavors provide just that. It's a completely baseless argument that the flavors are specifically used to market to children. If that was the case then flavored alcohol drinks should be banned immediately as well. Adults love flavors and we desire flavors. As a parent of 4 children, it is my responsibility to guide them through decisions and not the Government's.
The proposal also unjustly burdens the manufacturers of the e liquid because as written it would require each individual flavor to go through rigorous testing before being allowed on the market. This makes absolutely no sense. Virtually all e liquid is made from the same 4 ingredients: pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, nicotine, and FDA approved flavors. All of the ingredients are already approved for consumption. It makes no sense to force them to be approved again for consumption when they already are. It's a redundant regulation that will have a large negative impact on the industry.
Age restrictions on the products is a must and I fully support that part of the proposal. I also support warning labels. However, supporting the other proposed regulations is basically saying I don't care about the life and health of people who are looking for an alternative to smoking that works. And will likely be proven to work exponentially better than all other methods combined if given the opportunity.
My wife and I are not alone in our success with quitting smoking by using electronic cigarettes. I have witnessed 9 close friends, coworkers, and family members quit smoking almost instantly by switching to electronic cigarettes. There are literally hundreds of thousands of others with similar stories but that gets no recognition whatsoever. It's called anecdotal evidence in the media and quickly dismissed. I see it as fact and have witnessed 10 people with my own eyes. And I have zero reason to doubt anyone else's story because the product simply works better than any other method. It's a fact that decision makers refuse to accept or even entertain and it greatly upsets me.
I respectfully ask your help in protecting the rights and freedoms of the citizens of this Country. They should be allowed open access to products with limited harm that work. Especially when it comes to products that assist in getting Americans off of cigarettes. Blocking or heavily restricting access to a product that is already proven to have far less toxins and magnitudes of reduced harm from cigarettes in incomprehensible to me. The advancements in technology must be protected. The variety of flavors must remain. The availability of bottled e liquid must not be hindered. Please help protect our freedom and health.
Respectfully,
Robert Chill
