So what's really up?

General Health and advocacy
19

They are the ones who should be most concerned and leading the campaign. The future of most vape shop is very uncertain if the regulations go thru as is.

As far as the vapers I know my first question is do you about the deeming reg. I explain what it is and how vaping could change. Some don’t show much concern but they will regret it when they can’t get liquid or have to pay double or triple for it.

All they need to know is here. You can print what you feel is important and pass it along. I’ve also got concerned vapers email address and send them this link.

From the CASAA site
How You Can Help

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20

I realize I have not been doing my part in keeping our vaping rights. I just followed @Pro_Vapes link to How you can help, and just emailed my lawmakers and joined the CASAA movement. I am with @SunnyT in going to our local vape stores with flyers to hand out to help unite and inform the vaping public. BTW @SunnyT is my roommate and best friend so we can work together in our area to help get the word out. She has led me to this forum and helped inform me about vaping rights being taken away. I thank everyone who is helping keep our vaping rights alive!

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21

Thanks very much @Tripychiky. We are glad for your support and efforts. If everyone get 1 person on board then the numbers double. I posted before if the vape shops lead this effort than we can win this battle. They will see way more vapers in 1 day than I will see in a month. It would be good if they would encourage signing people up on the spot.

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22

Well said, there must be a more organized voice for vaping rights. Actually there are quite a few groups already active to support vaping rights and inform people. I hear you should be able to find them with a quick search!

As I’m out of country, I can’t really do anything. But my thoughts and best wishes are with all of you who will make a difference!

Godspeed.

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23

How can we do this indeed? The question being posed isn’t universal as the laws of many countries are little influenced by groups or citizenry…it’s not a one size fits all thing. Being a US citizen myself, let me address the question as it pertains to my country.

So what you’re asking is - how can we go against the enormous machine of the US government influenced by the abysmally deep pockets of big tobacco and big pharmaceutical companies. Not to mention the progressive/socialist mindset that has crept in to the seats of government.

CASAA is supposed to be the voice you speak of. You’re asking how we do this and my answer is public awareness and organized appeals to government intervention. Together we can help influence the public awareness part - to social media anyway. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc. It’s the handling of government that becomes the problem.

From CASAA’s own website:

CASAA is the Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives Association
CASAA formed in 2009 by members of an online forum as an advocacy group to raise awareness and protect our right to access reduced harm alternatives.
,CASAA has over 40,000 registered members*
CASAA was created as an answer to the anti-Tobacco Harm Reduction groups’ efforts to ban THR products and in the belief that there is strength in our numbers.

http://casaa.org/About_CASAA.html

The asterisk on the line about 40,000 registered members indicated that this was as of Feb of this year. So from 2009 to 2015 they picked up 40,000 members. Nicht gut, niet goed, inte bra, не хорошо, 不好, no es bueno, no good. That number is akin to a gnat fart during a fireworks finale…not heard!

You mention pulling together these forums. Not a bad idea if in doing so you become an official organization like CASAA. But a mere voice is not enough. You need lawyers to lobby congress when Federal regulations become an issue, and to sue the various governments for things ranging from citizen rights to mislabeling of products. This costs HUGE money. And it’s even huger when you realize you’re going up against big tobacco and pharm who has and always will have even deeper pockets.

I know, this sounds negative and defeatist. If I’ve said anything untrue please point it out to me.

So my answer is - we need to be organized and since CASAA is already formed, I see no better resource than them at the time. Grow where you’re planted as the saying goes. If you’re already a member of CASAA then keep abreast of developments. Send them some money if you can. If you are so inclined make up some business cards with their info and hand them out whenever you’re on the town. Take to Twitter, Facebook, email all your contacts. Visit those other forums and urge them to join CASAA and become active. The best way to get organized is, well, to start organizing and be active! And finally, if the plan were to have CASAA do the lobbying, etc, then they need funds. Having only 40k members ain’t cuttin it. Hell man, ECF alone has nearly 300k members! We need to put the vape down a few minutes each day and get busy recruiting.

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24

I know everyone has grown accustomed to new juice and the latest tank, rda or mod. Once the FDA get a hold of vaping it will cease. Read this post by @Josephine_van_Rijn of the roadblocks for any new tobacco products. And yes, your vape gear and juice is now a tobacco product.

25

One thing I miss also in the US is the involvement of vapeshops.
Here in the Netherlands we have two organisations, one like Casaa for vapers rights but there is also a union for vapeshops and they are lobbying the government about the new laws and regulations. Vapers are being asked to check if the vapeshop they buy from is a member of the union and if not to try to get them involved, so it is a two way street. It’s not just physical shop but webshops too. I know there is a bit of a hitch when it comes down to unions in the US, apparently it’s a dirty word, but I thought I just I put the info here, maybe something can come from it.

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26

This thread has brought new names. Sthrn mixer every word you say is true. We don’t stand a chance in hell of winning this fight. That’s not going to stop me from standing up and fighting for a cause I have in my heart. I’m gonna put a flier together to solicate at least 10 vape shops in my area. Can we, as a group, come together here, with a thread, and discuss ideas, opinions and help for each other. I don’t have the knowledge nor the intellect to do this without help. Don’t mistake me for an idiot. By no means am I one. When I speak I can command a room. I would love coming together regularly and discuss what we have and can accomplish as we move forward. Stern mixer you have my attention.

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27

Jose, the vape shops are on the front line. What I believe is that there is so much competition between the shops that they don’t have time. This is their lively hood and they must make time. One by one I will ignite a fire under their asses.

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28

You hit the nail on the head. We all need to get busy. It’s uphill all the way. There is no way to reorganize… we need to grow what’s already in place (CASAA). 40,000 can’t speak for for the millions that doesn’t have a clue. Most vapers don’t know what’s really know at stake. They’re just gonna be hit with closed doors and sky high prices.

There are millions of stories like this one that never get heard or either it’s ignored…

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29

I’m gonna hit as many vape shops as I can. It’s a futile fight but I can help create awareness. Do you guys and girls agree with that?

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30

I’m sorry. I’m chasing my tail I guess. I just remember Americans standing up for what they believed.

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31

It’s not that. You are down for the cause and want it to happen right now. The wheels of the government turn slow though. Nothing is going to happen today. Seeds need to be planted and vapers awareness is key… so when it’s time to act you’re not the only one ranting. I feel ya JZ and I’m pumped to.

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32

I’m not naive. I don’t expect now. I don’t do burea racy very well. Years of watching graft, greed and corruption made me turn my back for a very long time. Im just a little squeeky.

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33

A Reply From Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas

Kevin Brady
Member of Congress
8th District of Texas
Deputy Whip

Committee on Ways and Means
Chairman, Subcommittee on Health
Subcommittee on Trade
Joint Economic Committee Vice Chairman
Joint Committee on Taxation

September 16, 2015

Dear Mr. Ingling:

Thank you for contacting me with your support for H.R. 2058, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deeming Authority Clarification Act. I appreciate your input on this issue, and it is an honor to serve you in Congress.

On April 24, 2014, the FDA proposed a new rule, known as a “deeming regulation,” that would grant it the ability to regulate additional tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. Within this rule is a provision that requires products introduced after February 15, 2007, to acquire FDA approval before being allowed to sell. As a result, various products that would fall under this rule would be effectively banned until they receive FDA approval.

On November 24, 2014, Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and Chairman Fred Upton sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of the FDA, and the Director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products expressing their concern with the proposal. In the letter they requested that the grandfather date be moved to April 25, 2014. This would save manufacturers of these new products from a burdensome regulatory process that hampers innovation, harms small businesses, and inevitably leaves consumers without many of their products.

The FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act moves the February 15, 2007, cutoff date to the date of the deeming regulation, allowing products that have been introduced since 2007 to continue to be sold, pending FDA approval. H.R. 2058 is pending before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.

Setting the grandfather date eight years prior to the final regulation will cause a critical economic issue that will leave many cigar and e-vapor products at a disadvantage and cause additional regulatory burden that may cause many products to be removed from the market. Please know that I intend to pay very close attention to the issue to ensure the government does not create an uneven playing field. While I am not a member of this Committee, please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for letting me know your opinion. Let’s keep in touch, and if I can be of help in the future, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,
(signed)
Kevin Brady
U.S. Representative
Eighth District of Texas

P.S. If you want to stay updated on this issue or any of the other important issues facing Congress, please sign up for my newsletter on my home page or follow me on Facebook.
Click here to stay in touch and subscribe to my e-newsletter
I am also on Facebook.com/KevinBrady and @RepKevinBrady on Twitter.
301 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 202-225-4901

www.kevinbrady.house.gov

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34

Your reply is a lot better than the one I got here in Tennessee. He played the need more research and kids vaping card.

35

PV you are 100% correct. Government doesn’t move quickly, but their hammer is huge and their resolve is absolute. That’s why we need to act - to get ahead of them and build a strong alliance (or union??) so as to thwart the efforts by those determined to stifle the industry. And don’t be deceived…big tobacco and pharm want to see vaping come to an end. Won’t happen, though they can severely impact our ability to access certain things with the ease we do now. Why do they want it halted? Here’s my view of the dirty little secret.

As for big tobacco, well it’s obvious and has been stated ad nauseam. They lose revenue for each person who switches to vaping.

But pharm is a different story entirely. And it’s not just pharmaceuticals, they’re just the biggest in the medical realm. Imagine if you will the impact on revenue to pharm, hospitals, doctors, med equipment manufacturing, all the doctors, surgeons and specialists associated with the treatment of smoking related illness. It’s huge. Do these entities want to see smoking reduced? Of course not. And all these entities you can bet your ass are going to do whatever it takes to condemn vaping because to them, not doing so results in their empire crumbling.

According to the American Lung Association:

Lung cancer is a complicated disease affecting over 370,000 Americans each year. Lung Health & Diseases | American Lung Association

That’s just lung cancer. That doesn’t begin to address the people with smoking-related asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, or any of a number other ailments. It’s huge, huge business. So yeah, they’ll fight tooth and nail which is horrid and evil.

@JohnZena you say we don’t stand a chance in hell winning. I don’t believe that. I know it’s an uphill battle but it’s not a fight we should back down from. Put it this way…right now the loudest voices are those lobbying against vaping. And they’re getting spoon fed as much negative information as can be gathered and, well, manufactured. The way to deal with that is by countering all that negativity with factual information. This should be what CASAA does.

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36

I remember you posting that. Texas is one of four states that does not collect money from the tobacco companies. There is tobacco grown and packaged here in Texas but it’s small time here. Maybe this makes a big difference since Big tobacco does not have the Big footprint here. Another BIG difference here is this is a mostly republican state. They see the loss of jobs and revenue to the economy. Democrats only seem to care about money for those that already have. Insurance companies, Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, just to name a few. What new and inventive way can we give our buddies and ourselves more money that we can rob from the american people. This is their motto…

By the way people, Vote Republican, at least they support us vapers…

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37

I’ve been doing all I can within my circle, but I find most not really caring because it hasn’t affected them (yet). A week or so ago a vape shop refused to put up a flyer to petition an anti vaping bill claiming they “are not political”. Seriously?
I’ve always maintained that the vaping community needs a national face. Just the average Joe/Josephine that works, puts food on the table etc. I’ve seen the “crazy” who goes on and on about protecting the future of vaping and in all honesty, it’s a major turn-off and I can see why a conservative non-vaper would picture that person every time the subject comes up. I find it somewhat amusing when people see me vaping and think that what I’m doing is far worse than smoking cigarettes as they associate it with tattooed hipsters on drugs.
The in-fighting among websites and forums has got to stop as well. It’s past immature and laughable. Put half of that energy into unification and share resources to enlighten those outside of our circle to the benefits or at the very least, the harm reduction/non-drug aspects of what vaping really is and you might turn the tide. If any changes for the better come about, it will be through a very hard grass roots effort by ordinary people against the deep pockets of big tobacco, big pharma and their legislative cronies. The odds are against us, but it is winnable.

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38

Any positive information for vaping is stifled. The machine spread lies without any negative consequences. Even when statements are proven to be false, the damage is already done and nothing is retracted. Even the positive reports recently has not made the news. All test to date for eliquid has turned up nothing.

We have a irresponsible government and our lives and welfare are being sacrificed to keep machine rolling. Ending smoking is a smoke screen because it leads to unemployment and lost revenue for the medical field, big tobacco and in turn the government. What’s sad is we have seen the light… but millions of smokers are deterred because of negativity surrounding vaping.

It seems futile to keep bitching in forums. Without a proper format it seems that’s all that’s left. How many people can I possibly reach with my gripes? But I’ll continue to support CASAA and spreading the word where I can.

Vaping was a lifesaver for me… then it became hobby… now it’s a mission because I can see it’s true benefits.

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