Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0189-7289
Agency: fda
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2014-06-17T04:00Z

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.  I 

feel that a proposal that was three years in the making should allow more time for response and 

comments.

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.

Thank you, very much, for the chance to submit this form, your time, and consideration regarding 

it, and allowing me to provide my own feedback.