Reply from Sen. Sherrod Brown... it was much more pertinent than the one I got back from Kasich, but 'explaining' how an ecigarette works to someone who (I had said) had used them for 5 years, it is still a 'form letter'. Hits on every lie that has been generated from the main ANTZ....which of course was answered by the NIH piece that I sent him, that debunks the 2009 FDA single carto that was 'tainted', the study that shows the CDC cooked the 1 in 5 children trying an
ecig never trying smoking. He outright lies about the 'loophole' that was closed by Ohio - no sale to minors is on the books. etc. etc. So we're dealing strictly with an ideologue unwilling to look at competing information and studies that destroy each of his points.
My guess is the letters from the others - Durbin, Markey, Merkley, Boxer, Schumer, Reed, et. al. will be either exactly the same wording or something close.
I'm going to respond to this one on those points.... likely to no avail.
Thank you for sharing your views on electronic cigarettes and for taking the time to write about your experiences.
Electronic cigarettes are an alternative to tobacco cigarettes designed to deliver nicotine or other substances in the form of a vapor. They have a rechargeable heating component that warms an internal cartridge containing the nicotine and converts the contents of the cartridge into an inhalable substance.
We already know that smoking traditional tobacco products is dangerous. One in every five deaths in Ohio is caused by tobacco use. Although the data on electronic cigarettes is not yet conclusive, FDA lab tests in 2009 showed that the vapor from some electronic cigarettes may also contain carcinogens. There is no data to support the conclusion that electronic cigarettes are a safer alternative to smoking.
In addition, a recent study by the CDC shows that the number of middle school and high school students who have tried an electronic cigarette doubled between 2011 and 2012. Of these students, 1 in 5 had never tried a conventional cigarette. I am concerned that this trend might lead to a younger generation of individuals with nicotine addictions, which may shift over to tobacco use in the form of cigarettes, cigars, or other proven harmful delivery methods. This is why in September 2013 I co-signed a letter to 9 electronic cigarette makers, requesting them to provide additional information regarding the sale, distribution, labeling, and marketing of their products to children and teens.
Under current law, electronic cigarettes fall into a loophole in federal regulations. Manufacturers of these devices can still target children and teens. It important that the FDA regulate these products in a way that protects consumer safety by requiring the companies that manufacture electronic cigarettes to limit advertising efforts targeted at children, publish ingredient listings, and abide by good manufacturing practices.
We should continue to maximize the benefit of electronic cigarettes as a way to help individuals replace ordinary tobacco products while minimizing their potential risk to prolonging the habits of current smokers or introducing a new generation of users to nicotine addiction.
I will continue to monitor this situation with your letter in mind. Thank you again for being in touch with me.
