Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0189-5634
Agency: fda
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2014-06-16T04:00Z

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

General Comment:Dear Mr. Zeller:

I am writing to you 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 has a number of important issues and questions that pertain 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 do research and providing comments on these important questions is limited. I have spent many hours doing research and pin pointing these issues, but they take a lot of time. The FDA took a long time to come up with the Proposed Rule, so I do not think it's unreasonable to allow the public only six months to comment on this matter. This is our time to research, as consumers, to provide our thoughtful feedback. 

I feel strongly about e-cigarettes as an alternative to combustible cigarettes. I know that they saved my life. I want 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 thoughts on this proposed regulation.

Thank you for taking the time to read my request. You may contact me if you would like to discuss this matter.