

Comment Info: =================

General Comment: Dear Mr. Zeller:

I am writing as an individual consumer to request an extension of 

the comment period for the Food and Drug Administration's 

("FDA") Proposed Rule Deeming Tobacco Products to be 

Subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as 

amended by the Family Smoking and Prevention and Tobacco 

Control Act (the "Proposed Rule") published at 79 Fed. Reg. 

23,142 and Federal Register No. 2014-09491. On behalf of 

myself, I am requesting that the comment period for the 

Proposed Rule be extended by the FDA for an additional 105 

days, from its current 75-day period, to 180 days.

The Proposed Rule raises a number of significant issues and 

questions that are important and relevant to me, as a consumer 

of products that are proposed for regulation under the Proposed 

Rule. The Proposed Rule asks about a hundred different 

questions I might want to respond to. I want to provide my 

thoughts and comments on many of these issues, but my time to 

devote to researching and providing thoughtful comments on 

these important questions is limited. I have already spent many 

hours researching and dissecting these issues, but they take 

time. I know that the FDA took many years to even come up with 

the Proposed Rule, so I do not think it is at all unreasonable to 

allow the public a mere six months to comment on it. This is our 

only opportunity, as consumers, to provide our feedback.

I feel very strongly about e-cigarettes as an alternative to 

combustible cigarettes. Quite simply, I firmly believe that they 

saved my life. I wish to provide you with my personal story, as 

well as science- and evidence-based responses to your 

questions so that you can take my comment into account. I 

realize that the FDA has the authority under 21 CFR 10.40 to 

extend this time frame and that the FDA has exercised this 

authority on numerous occasions in the past. I would therefore 

ask that you do so here, so that all stakeholders have the 

opportunity to provide their comments on this proposed 

regulation.

I appreciate your consideration of my request and am happy to 

discuss this issue with you further.

Thank you.
