To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is in regard to the upcoming FDA Deeming Regulations, and the prohibition of Vaping products presently available on the market at this time.
I would like to begin with my personal story and how I feel Vaping has saved my life.
I began smoking tobacco cigarettes in the summer of 1972. Over the ensuing 40 years I developed Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis from ongoing tobacco usage which went on to become COPD.
Even though I knew the habit was causing physical issues ancillary to the tobacco usage, I found it impossible to quit. I would awaken at night, quite literally gasping for breath and coughing until I vomited. I coughed regularly during the day as well; my voice was becoming raspy and my chest gurgled audibly with every breath.
Visits to the ER for breathing treatments, treatments administered at home, rescue inhalers and seemingly unending respiratory infections became the norm for me.
Over the years I tried the nicotine gum and patches multiple times to quit my tobacco usage, but to no avail.
Due to the fact that I have chronic Liver and Skin disease, I cannot take many drugs because of the side effects. Chantix, Wellbutrin and the like were totally out of the question for me.
I feared that I too, would be sentenced to the same fate as my Mother, who died at 71 of Oat Cell Carcinoma of the Lungs (my Aunt, her Sister died of the same disease at 56, after having smoked Pall Mall unfiltereds for decades.).
One day, on a lark, I happened to peruse a blog thread (non Vaping related) where the discussion happened to be about Electronic Cigarettes. Skeptical, I read on. One of the posters mentioned that she had tried E Cigs and managed to kick a tobacco habit of 50 years plus. Intrigued, I heavily researched the hardware and flavored juice options that were available to me.
In the meatime, a friend of mine (who I didn't even realized vaped) gave me some of his used gear (as he had moved on to other vaping gear) and some tobacco flavoured vape liquid that he no longer used.
I received the E Cigs (two Joyetech 650 mAh batteries and cartomizers) and liquid on April 28th of 2012 and started vaping that very day.
I have not had a tobacco cigarette or cigarillo since.
I completely, absolutely and totally stopped smoking tobacco that day and have never returned to it.
Since I have started vaping I am no longer waking up in the night gasping for breath or coughing all day.
I no longer have the rattle in my chest, and my voice is clearer.
I still have COPD...the damage from my long term tobacco usage is already done...but I feel that vaping has given me a choice between living longer or dying a tobacco related death.
Since I have been vaping, my hair and clothes no longer smell of tobacco smoke.
My home no longer reeks of tobacco smoke.
I am not constantly stopping to have a smoke because since starting to vape I can go for many , many hours without having to vape at all.
I can actually taste my food now because I can smell again!
Now that you have heard my story, I would like to bring to your attention some other, larger issues in regards to vaping and the industry that has grown up around Vaping.
When I began vaping, I vaped tobacco flavoured vapes. It was not long after that I discovered that I really didn't like tobacco flavours, so I moved onto fruit flavoured vapes. Having a choice of flavours to choose from has helped me and many other Vapers continue to stay away from tobacco.
In addition, it is important for Vapers to have access to not only a range of flavours to choose from but differing nicotine (mg) levels as well. This makes it possible for a Vaper to step down their nicotine (mg) levels to zero (mg) if they would like to vape sans the nicotine or quit all together.
Another extremely important choice in Vaping is the hardware and delivery system used for it. Some Vapers prefer cigalikes (Personal vaporizers that look like tobacco cigarettes), some prefer devices with larger batteries (such as the Joyetech eGo) and some prefer APVs (Advanced Personal Vaporizers) with removable, rechargeble batteries, both regulated and non-regulated. Many Vapers (whether at home or out and about) may use some or all of the above at different times and in different situations or venues.
As far as delivery systems, Vapers prefer cartomizers, tanks, clearomizers and atomizers; again, most Vapers use some or all of these delivery systems depending on the device they are using.
It is essential that we have these choices because what works to keep one Vaper away from tobacco usage will not work for another Vaper.
As with many other things, One Size Fits All rarely ever works and Vaping is no exception.
Control of vaping hardware, delivery Systems and liquids by only a few large Corporations would not give us the choices we have presently and as seen in the past, all of these Corporations have included ingredients and chemicals in their products to make tobacco cigarettes and other associated products much more addictive and deadly.
I would like to now touch on the economics of Vaping and how prohibition of presently available products would have a deleterious effect on Vaping businesses.
It is not just the Consumers of vaping products that will be adversly affected by a prohibition of products presently available.
The businesses that have helped Vaping grow will be put out of business, causing a ripple effect outward, not only for the businesses but for all who are associated with it .
These businesses employ people who will find themselves thrown out of work, affecting the economic stability of their families.
Loss of Tax revenue will occur because these businesses pay taxes into their Local and State coffers, not to mention Federal taxes and having been thrown out of business, will not be contributing to the tax pool.
The Suppliers and Vendors of both hardware, delivery systems and liquids would also be facing the same issues.
Many Vaping businesses in the U.S. are Small Businesses and a prohibition of products presently available would be a heavy blow indeed , causing serious economic hardship to these businesses.
Potential bankruptcies are within the realm of possibility in this scenario.
If a prohibition on vaping products presently available were to occur, there is the distinct and likely possibilty that a Black Market would develop, resulting in unsafe Liquids and Hardware being sold, as well as potentiality for criminal conduct and underage access to occur.
As the situation is presently, Manufacturers and Sellers of both hardware and liquids are working dilligently within their own industries and with each other to insure safe products are available and preventing access to minors.
In closing, a prohibition on vaping products presently available will serve no one but a few very large Corporations. The Free Enterprise System (and the competition that is its lifeblood) that we hold dear in this Country is at the heart of this matter.
Adults who are legally allowed to smoke should also have the option to Vape and potentially save their own lives.
Sincerely,
