

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 was a two pack a day smoker for 35 years. I was diagnosed with COPD two and a half years ago. My coughing was 

so bad that I almost wrecked my motorcyle on the way to work. I switched completely to elctronic cigerttes about 

seven monthes ago (OCt, 2013). During a routine chech up with my doctor, he said that I am no longer exhibiting 

signs of COPD and stopped the prescription that I was on. 


 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.
