Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0189-8457
Agency: fda
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2014-06-18T04:00Z

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.

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.

E-cigarettes have allowed me to not have smoke around my family.  My lungs have become stronger and so has my relationship with my family because no longer do I spend hours each day hiding my old habit.  I am able to now run with my children and keep up because my heart is not under the same stress as it was previously.  I am aware that some risks my exist with e-cigarettes but I feel like more time to comment will show more stories like mine where people are no longer tied to combustible nicotine and there health has improved as a result.  

I appreciate your consideration of my request and am happy to discuss this issue with you further.