

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.
I have to say I worry about the FDA’s regulation having a negative impact on my ability to purchase the
e-cigarette products that helped me kick a 30 year smoking habit. Having multiple flavors of ejuice available for my e-cigarettes has been instrumental in allowing me to quit smoking and remain tobacco free for 2 years. I am much healthier now than I was 2 years ago as a former smoker.
The FDA needs to give the public time to give our feedback and do our research based on the paperwork recently released by you. There are misconceptions in the rulings about e-cigarettes.
There are misconceptions being touted to the media about e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are not a gateway to smoking, but rather a way for smokers to quit smoking and for formers smokers to remain smoke free.
From the rulings I read, I fear that we vapers will be forced to either return to smoking cigarettes, or
try and use inferior vaping products, which will inevitably drive many successful vapers (who are former smokers) to pick up the habit of smoking tobacco cigarettes once again.
I agree that minors should be banned access from e-cigarette products and that more research needs to be done on e-liquid but the stringent rules about to be placed on e-cigarette suppliers will place undue hardship on the small businesses that I purchase from. So not only will you be putting many people out of business, and many other people out of work, you are going to put a stranglehold on supply.
We will not be able to afford to vape.

Sincerely, 

Catherine Rice

