

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 concerns me because of the amount of time that has been spent within a consumer/scientist research environment.  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.  We are the citizens which have been testing and researching this issue every day of our lives.  We absolutely are the best test subjects to assist in continued research and development to this young concept. This is our only opportunity, as consumers, to provide our feedback. 

As a consumer that works in the field of electronic cigarettes, I am continually thanked by people for helping them become tobacco free.  I feel very strongly about e-cigarettes as an alternative to combustible cigarettes. To put it mildly, before I found this alternative, my life was not as high quality as it could have been.  I struggled with breathing, exercise, and an overall since of wellness.   Being a smoker of 15 years I watched my health decline.  Over the past five years, vaping has allowed me to live a healthier lifestyle by giving me a much less harmful way of getting nicotine.   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.

