

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 am 42 years old and began smoking cigarettes at the age of 12. That's 30 years, and in the last 15, I come down with severe bronchitis at least 2-3 times a year. My cough was horrible, I was out of breath all the time, I couldn't go for walks without becoming winded, I couldn't really do any type of exercise without feeling like I was going to pass out. I have tried every piece of nicotine gum and patch from A-Z, Chantix, and other products to help me stop, they just never worked for me. I began vaping August 6th, 2013, and have not had a cigarette since! I can breathe again, taste my food, smell things that I couldn't smell before, exercise, and go for long walks. I have not had bronchitis since last summer. THIS IS A MIRACLE!!!!! I began vaping 24 mg of nicotine, and have since lowered it to just 6mg. I certainly believe that vaping is saving my life!

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.
 

