Document ID: FDA-2014-N-0189-8917
Agency: fda
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2014-06-18T04:00Z

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

General Comment:As an avid hookah enthusiast, I believe the regulations proposed are a little steep. The 2007 cutoff date renders many brands new recipes or products, i.e.-- social smoke, kaloud lotus, starbuzz, etc., useless. A growing industry suddenly cut off from all the innovation that has sparked over the last few years, the last few months even!

The hookah community as a whole is something spectacular to behold. I've yet to experience anything bad on all the forums or customer service calls I've made. Trading between members of forums is cool because those users get to share a story of a Nargile (hookah water pipe). I've never once encountered a foul egg while browsing reddit.com/r/hookah or emailing a YouTube reviewer. The community is always trying to help each other, to come together to make a shared pastime more enjoyable for anyone who wishes to learn about it. 

Hookah isn't about an addiction. Some people might struggle with a nicotine addiction, but there are nicotine free alternatives for that should they be desired. I would say most, myself included, partake because it is a social stimulant. I and many others, from forums or around town, use hookahs as a catalyst for conversation. In a world where the upcoming generation is so dependent upon technology as a means of communication, there's something beautiful about sitting around with friends, new and old, communicating over something many hookah enthusiasts see as a hobby. 

I'm also of the opinion that shisha (hookah tobacco) should be investigated more thoroughly and held to a certain standard of quality. I would love for there to be scientific studies done that say more than "hookah produces more smoke; therefore, it must be worse than cigarettes!". Shisha is made to be heated, not combusted. The tar intake should be exceedingly smaller than that from cigarettes or the like. 

All in all, I ask for an extended commenting period so everything can be analyzed more properly. Hookah, and E-cigs especially, seem to be a great way for the general populace to kick their many year addiction to cigarettes. Hookah specifically is a great way to meet people and converse in an age overrun by technology.