Dear President-elect Trump,

I'm writing you today on behalf of the “vaping” community to make you aware of a great injustice done by the FDA under the Barrack Obama administration. This injustice affects both private individuals and small business. As a champion for both, I know you will take interest.

As you may know, the FDA has been handed the authority to regulate e-cigarettes under the same guidelines as they have for tobacco. In fact, they 'deemed" e-cigarettes to be tobacco products, although the only similarity between e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes is the appearance of the exhaled product. Even that is entirely different considering a combustible cigarette produces smoke from ignited tobacco, whereas the e-cigarette is only a vapor produced by heating a benign liquid.

E-cigarettes have been a Godsend to millions of people worldwide as an aid to smoking cessation. I am only one of those people. Many of us have tried and failed with nicotine gum, nicotine patches and quitting "cold turkey," having never realized success in breaking the bonds of tobacco until discovering e-cigarettes. Many people claim to quit smoking instantly when trying e-cigarettes (vaping), while others struggle for a time. However, the success stories where the use of e-cigarettes were a successful aid in complete smoking cessation are too numerous to ignore.

One of the more egregious parts of the FDA’s “deeming regulations” pertains to the equipment we use. When e-cigarettes first hit the market, they were small, low-powered devices and produced a scant amount of vapor – something which lacked in satisfaction for many long-time smokers. This was the case for several years; however, like most other new technology, there were major advancements over time. And with improvements also came greater smoking cessation success. The examples of this are abundant. Yet the FDA has put an oppressive limitation on the manufacturers and, consequently, the end consumer, by making it necessary to have FDA approval on both devices and liquids – allowing only those made prior to an arbitrary date in 2007. People who used the products available in 2007 had lower success rates for smoking cessation.

The 2007 predicate date allows Big Tobacco a pass on their product while imposing rules on vapor products that require Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA) which will, in 2-3 years’ time, put most e-liquid manufacturers out of business considering the estimated approval cost is over $1 million per each flavor and per each nicotine level. Additionally, manufacturers of vaporizing devices must also submit a PMTA application. How are these a tobacco product? Many people use them with liquids that contain no nicotine. Why does the FDA now consider any liquid put into a vaporizer a tobacco product when clearly it is not? This is in the regulations. You see where this is headed. The FDA, in the interests of SPECIAL INTERESTS GROUPS, want people to continue smoking!

One of the major claims opponents of e-cigarettes make is that of the children, and the accusation these products are being marketed to them. However, the regulations impact the adult consumer, resulting in fewer choices and limited access. All this while alcohol and tobacco industries thrive.

One should examine the possible reasons why the vaping industry has been under attack. Spin it however they want, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that for every person who vapes, that is a person not buying tobacco and therefore not adding revenue in the form of federal tax and state sin tax dollars. It's not hard to see that Big Pharma does not like the loss of revenue in the sales of their smoking cessation products. People have found a method (vaping) that is at least 2-3 times more effective. Big Pharma also is considering a future of lost revenue where people do not develop tobacco-related illness and require their drugs to fight cancer and other illnesses caused by smoking. When you think about it along these lines there can be only one conclusion - the health of the consumer is of no concern to the government, big tobacco and big pharm compared to revenue – this is sickening.

Mr. Trump, we appeal to you today to stop the current campaign to destroy the e-cigarette industry. The FDA has no place calling these devices and product "tobacco products" nor does the Federal Government have any place in the decisions of Americans who want to choose to vape, whether that be for recreational or smoking-cessation purposes. Please help get the FDA out of our lives and personal decisions. There is a fact-based documentary film called “A Billion Lives” that would give an even clearer perspective.  

Vaping is saving lives!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Concerned Citizens for Vaper’s Rights