fda COMMENT

Rough draft of my FDA comments



I am a widow my husband died of lung cancer and yet I  still could not quit smoking even with first hand knowledge of how horrible cancer is. I was unable to stop for my children who where teens at the time and begged. I was truly addicted for over 42 years never able to stop my 2+ pack a day habit more than a few days even with patches, gum, pills--I expected to die with a cigarette in my hand but figured well it helped me to think when I needed to make hard decisions.  Cigarettes comforted me those long nights when the world sleeps but I was in so much pain from grief,and  frankly cigarettes are much more than just an addiction they are a way to cope to take a few seconds to think or to calm you--they were my lifeline they bought me time a few seconds to clearly think square my shoulders and go on.

I honestly never dreamed I would be saying this as a FORMER heavy smoker yet I am. Funny it started out with a dear friend challenging me to quit with him.  Neither of us thought it would work we'd both attempted to quit before with friends & loved ones using  patches & gum but I never lasted more than 5 days in addition he had  tried acupuncture, hypnosis and pills (chantix, wellburtrin) before but he never lasted over 8 months so of course we both expected to fail with this e cigarette thing which my non smoking kids wanted me to try so we picked up some of those look alike things.  They were close got the hand action but the vapor just didn't quite make it still missing something--and  we were told about ego style and vv about different temps and they suggested flavors instead of his Marlboro or my menthol crazy talk!!  But then we tried this new way....!!!!! It works!!  We are both in our late 50's we never expected to be NON smokers but we are!!!  While it is true he still occasionally uses a tobacco/fruit flavored juice at times we are both so into all the wonderful  flavors now yes candy, desserts, fruits, heck gum type flavors!! We  have found the flavors distance us even more from cigarettes and make it worth all the extra effort. I now hate tobacco and   I can smell I can breathe I no longer use inhalers I no longer have a smokers cough or carry cough drops around constantly I no longer have to sleep with an air purifier or have the constant ache from a deep breath. ..I am a non smoker and have been for over 18 months!!!!! We both are and we have gotten several friends to also switch!! For the first time there is a way that really does work and yet it seems the powers in charge want to destroy it.  They want us to use tobacco not vape because otherwise they have nothing to fight or take advantage of us with to  look down on to destroy our lives by not allowing us freedoms.  Smokers are unfairly taxed and victimized now they want to destroy and victimize vaping too with the same prejudice they apply to smokers.  Funny smoking is easy rip the pack over shove that puppy in the mouth light up.  Vaping we have to worry about chargers. batteries, juices, atty's so much more but so worth it.

I am not a smoker anymore.  I haven't been one for over 18 months.  If you proceed as planned I guess I do need to learn how to diy juices, wrap rebuild coils because I am not going back.  I also will not use those cig-a-likes or switch tobacco only  flavors might as well smoke with those which is easier anyway. Everyone I know is the same so then you really will have nicotine poisonings since there are a lot of dummies who don't understand that it is concentrated not pre-mixed as they are used too and concentrated is dangerous unlike mixed e-juice and needs precautions  that will be government's fault  especially to those who don't understand to protect and serve people you have to understand them and their needs not just your own agendas. I personally often don't use nicotine but I do on occasions when I need help thinking clearly true a low dose but necessary to keep me where I am.  With this reg I won't be able to buy my juice from vendors I know and trust to do it right they will be gone and thousands of small business will disappear only big tobacco companies will be left--the same companies that have been adding so much to tobacco it is now more deadly than ever. Will this happen to their ejuice also?  I expect so since there wont be such a strong vaping community ready to make this widely known and there will not be another choice for ones containing nicotine.  It's just we won't be using them oh sure maybe some newbies but we will all be making our own zero-nicotine  juice from easily available food items and many will find a way to get that nicotine so I expect there will be a new thriving black market.  Totally sad and avoidable juice should be under food regulations anyway NOT tobacco control.  It may look like smoking but ask ANY smoker it is not however! vaping  it is something we can do instead.

I joined  CASSA shortly after I started vaping and found out there is controversy over using  vaping to quit smoking.   I was shocked that anyone would condemn this I was sheltered by the fact all that I knew were PRO vaping and were thrilled that I could quit smoking this way. I am an American citizen who is now a non smoker because of vaping.  My vaping community supports innovation and helping as many as possible to discover vaping to find what will work for them individually to allow all to finally quit dying from smoking -people like my husband.  We know that if allowed to grow vaping will put an end to  smoking--burning combustible deadly tobacco for good.  True the opposition will loose tobacco related income but it is time for real changes to save lives and that is what this is supposed to be about--people not money.  E-cigarettes should be a weapon in the fight against smoking because that is what they are an answer to a prayer for a smoke-free world.