Senate e-cig hearings! INSIST they be unbiased!

[Berylanna]

Found this on another group:

Week ahead: Senate Democrats target e-cigarettes | TheHill

This must not be allowed to be a witch hunt and must be FAIR. If it is FAIR, we'll win. I'm calling both Senators TODAY on this!
They supposedly try to be fair. Let's make SURE!

 

[patkin]

Why no Call to Action on this? Are they sneaking it in knowing how busy everyone is with the FDA comment period?

 

[Berylanna]

It JUST NOW popped up on a casaa forum, and CASAA is listening live to the NY State hearings (a farce at BEST apparently) but Julie noticed and asked someone to get contact info for that Senate committee. She never issues a CTA until after she verifies.

This WAS a news story, after all.

 

[DeeLeeKay]

We need to contact our senators. Tell them to get the facts and science behind reduced harm.

 

[aikanae1]

The FDA is working on regulations for e-cigarettes and other tobacco products that include banning the sale of the products to children. The agency would likely finalize the rule some time after early July, though they are under pressure from health advocates to move faster.

That doesn't sound positive for an extension.

 

[AndriaD]

It JUST NOW popped up on a casaa forum, and CASAA is listening live to the NY State hearings (a farce at BEST apparently) but Julie noticed and asked someone to get contact info for that Senate committee. She never issues a CTA until after she verifies.

This WAS a news story, after all.

Soooo... what do we do? "We" as in "all concerned vapers"... After reading CASAA's statement about the proposed FDA regulations, I'm very hesitant to do anything, until I know it's the right thing, at the right time. I sure don't want to make it any worse than it is.

Andria

 

[aikanae1]

I think their statement on FDA regulations applied only to submitting comments to the FDA. Everyone else was open season, including congress. At least that was my take on it.

 

[Berylanna]

I think their statement on FDA regulations applied only to submitting comments to the FDA. Everyone else was open season, including congress. At least that was my take on it.

I KNOW that's what they meant, EXCEPT they don't want us to sign petitions full of ignorance of how gov't works.

Asking YOUR senator to keep an eye on the FDA is encouraged. Asking your senator to ask the Health committee to be fair would be fine. I've paid VERY close attention to CASAA on this stuff lately. If you are worried, maybe there will be a CTA by tomorrow. In that case you could follow that.

I already emailed but tonight I'm going to figure out how to fax from my laptop and if there is a CTA I'll either send another email or I'll send a fax. (Assuming the CTA has more information, such as a list of speakers we think should be invited or something)

I'm holding off on contacting the committee itself for 24 hours in case that very thing occurs.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Sen. Harkin's announcement for the US Senate HELP Cmte hearing on e-cigs on Thursday is at:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Hearings - Hearing

Last week, Harkin and other Senate Dems sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg making more false claims about e-cigs.
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Newsroom - Press Releases

Senate HELP Cmte members are:

Democrats by Rank
Tom Harkin (IA)
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)
Patty Murray (WA)
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)
Kay R. Hagan (NC)
Al Franken (MN)
Michael F. Bennet (CO)
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Christopher S. Murphy (CT)
Elizabeth Warren (MA)

Republicans by Rank
Lamar Alexander (TN)
Michael B. Enzi (WY)
Richard Burr (NC)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
Rand Paul (KY)
Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Pat Roberts (KS)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Tim Scott (SC)


I'm/we/re trying to find out more information about Thursday's hearing, and how to best deal with threat/opportunity.

Will have more details tomorrow, but vapers should contact Senate HELP Cmte members from their state, send them some of the many false and misleading fear mongering claims about e-cigs by FDA, CDC, NY Times, Sen. Harkin and others, and urging their Senator to ask any witnesses from FDA or CDC about their agency's false and misleading claims.

 

[AndriaD]

Ok, I found the info about how to submit the comment, what to say, etc, got it posted, and sent the comment number to CASAA.

Hopefully we can all cooperate and get something done!
Andria

 

[Tom Servo]

It's best to keep letters short and to focus on optimism. My Senator is Johnny Isakson, and this is what I wrote to him:

On Thursday, the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee will conduct hearings on possible regulation of e-cigarette products. These products may be one of the greatest boons to public health in decades. Restricting or taxing them will reduce their effectiveness.

I know. I have been smoking since 1989. I have tried to quit many times, and with no success. Traditional nicotine-replacement products are insufficient, and I'm reluctant to take mood-altering drugs with dangerous and poorly-documented side effects.

This year, I have been able to quit smoking tobacco with the help of e-cigarettes. The process was surprisingly painless and fast. I am no longer inhaling 4,000 toxic chemicals with each puff, I am not exposing the people around me to toxic fumes, and I am not creating a mountain of litter with cigarette butts. More to the point, I am not going to be a burden to our health-care system.

Some regulation may be necessary. For example, our own state has passed a law to restrict access of these products from individuals under 18 years of age. This is good law. However, I ask that you approach the debate for further regulation with an open and skeptical mind.

These things save lives, and people need access to them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance.

Bear in mind that most correspondence is read by staffers, and only the most compelling and articulate stuff will be brought to your Senator's attention.

 

[pamdis]

I'm/we/re trying to find out more information about Thursday's hearing, and how to best deal with threat/opportunity.

I found the page that lists the panel:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Hearings - Hearing

Looks like there will be one panel with two witnesses:

Panel I
Tim McAfee, MD, MPH , Director, Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Mitch Zeller, JD , Director, Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD

 

[EleanorR]

I found the page that lists the panel:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Hearings - Hearing

Looks like there will be one panel with two witnesses:

Panel I
Tim McAfee, MD, MPH , Director, Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Mitch Zeller, JD , Director, Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD

Oh gee, that's just great. A Waxman-style circle-jerk.

Not that I really expected anything more honest from this Senate!

 

[Katya]

I found the page that lists the panel:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Hearings - Hearing

Looks like there will be one panel with two witnesses:

Panel I
Tim McAfee, MD, MPH , Director, Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Mitch Zeller, JD , Director, Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD

McAfee and Zeller?????????????? Witnesses???????????

Dear Lord. And nobody from the other side? So why do they even bother? What kind of hearings is this? Kangaroo court anyone?

 

[Nate760]

We need to contact our senators. Tell them to get the facts and science behind reduced harm.

Unfortunately, if you openly advocate a reduced harm strategy, you're pretty much signing your own political death warrant. American voters, for the most part, still want to hear about law and order and strict moral puritanism. Using the war on drugs as an example, everybody knows it's been a disastrous failure, but you won't see any elected officials coming out and saying that, because they'll be branded as "soft on drugs" by their opponents and potentially lose the next election because of it. This issue is going to be no different. Anyone who stands up against this moral panic, no matter how strongly the facts are on their side, is going to be portrayed as "the guy who wants to put dangerous, addictive tobacco products in the hands of your children."

 

[pamdis]

Why do they bother? The senators are calling for the FDA to take action, with no evidence the action is needed. So they call in front of them for a hearing the people from the agencies that they are demanding action from to validate the senators bad claims. So the senators can apply more pressure....round and round.

ElenorR summed it up well....circle jerk.

 

[aikanae1]

Here's a simpler explaination:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Newsroom - Press Releases

I.E. $$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Katya]

Here's a simpler explaination:
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Newsroom - Press Releases

I.E. $$$$$$$$$$$$

"The guidance issued today does just that by providing Americans with the access to proven tobacco cessation programs,” said Harkin."

Good. The only "proven tobacco cessation program" I know of is e-cigarettes. It works.

 

[Jman8]

Last week, Harkin and other Senate Dems sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Hamburg making more false claims about e-cigs.
US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions: Newsroom - Press Releases

<snip>

vapers should contact Senate HELP Cmte members from their state, send them some of the many false and misleading fear mongering claims about e-cigs by FDA, CDC, NY Times, Sen. Harkin and others, and urging their Senator to ask any witnesses from FDA or CDC about their agency's false and misleading claims.

I'm always up for addressing fear mongering claims and think this is a decent way to go with regards to what these (not so honorable) senators are up to.

But I'm also thinking why not get the war going and get Pubs in Congress on our side to ensure there is both vocal opposition and calling out the false claims by these Democrat Senators? Put them on the defensive and forced to justify what they are purporting with an opposition that is equal to them in stature.

These Dems chose to make it partisan and IMO, that can easily work against them going forward.

 

[Katya]

Asking YOUR senator to keep an eye on the FDA is encouraged.

Unless your senator is Barbara Boxer.