Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0189-4974
Agency: fda
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2014-06-16T04:00Z

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

General Comment:Dear Mr. Zeller:

I am an individual consumer. I would like 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 Rules request input to FDA, many of which questions I would like to respond to in a meaningful and informed way. I have already spent hours just in reading the Proposed Rules and at FDA's request I have even more research to do in order to provide answers to FDA's questions, which takes time. FDA took years to write these Proposed Rules. I think it only appropriate that FDA then provide consumers, for whom this is the only opportunity to provide input into this process, sufficient time to do the research and provide feedback.

As a consumer of e-cigarettes, the Proposed Rules contain regulations that are extremely important, not just to my continued use of electronic cigarettes, but to my future health -- health that will be gravely impacted should FDA's regulations be enacted as proposed. I wish to tell you how e-cigarettes have positively impacted my own health, as well as provide you with researched, evidence-based answers to your requests for input with regards to electronic cigarettes. FDA has authority under 21 CFR 10.40 to extend the public comment period, an authority which FDA has used in the past. Due to the potential negative impact of these regulations as proposed, I request that FDA do so in this case so that all interested parties, consumers and vendors, are able to provide comment on these Proposed Rules. 

Thank you for your consideration of my request. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me for further discussion.