He’s about to appoint a wall street billionaire to his staff. I can’t believe people bought into his crap that he was for the’ ordinary worker’ out there.
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Of course he could have gotten his neighbors kid that flips houses as well.
I prefer the sign the no lobbyists contract myself over hiring complete outsiders but to each their own.
The simple truth is he won and he can do it anyway he pleases .
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I’m not going to detour the thread and go into the dark abyss that is American politics. The cause is a righteous one and I damn well hope it get results. Personally I’m going to continue to pester our politicians until one of them takes notice. Vape on brothers and sisters.
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If this is the case then please use the link I provided and go straight to the top. I for one am tired of our state reps ignoring us…
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Here’s a letter that I and some others on ELR have been collaborating on. Please offer CONSTRUCTIVE criticism as this will be blasted to Trump as soon as the edits are complete.
Dear President-elect Trump,
I’m writing you today 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. Having tried and failed with nicotine gum, nicotine patches and quitting “cold turkey,” I never realized success in breaking the bonds of tobacco until I found e-cigarettes. Many people claim to quit smoking instantly when trying e-cigarettes (vaping), but I had some struggles. However, I was able to quit with the aid of vaping and have been smoke-free for many, many months. There are millions of people around the world who share the same story.
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 anyone who was a long-time smoker. 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 low 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-juice 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!
This outlines a concern for minors having access to e-cigarettes. However, the regulations impact the adult consumer more heavily, 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 stop smoking 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. That is sick!
Mr. Trump, I 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. Vaping is saving lives!
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A good letter and I am no english teacher my grammar is terrible as is my speeling (lol) but If I may suggest a couple of small tweaks (please feel free to disregard)
stop smoking products > smoking cessation products
big pharm > big pharmaceutical companies
That is sick! > That is sickening
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The only suggestion I have is you may want to reference the “A Billion Lives” movie in your letter. Anyway, I think you have put together a very well thought out letter!
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The cool thing about one man trying to change things is that he influences others and suddenly he isn’t alone any more. All actions have to start somewhere and if everyone feels the way you do that i as an individual can’t change anything we are doomed for sure.
If only more people would have the courage to start something against the government or whatever the cause is, because if they do more people will follow and something can be achieved.
I’m the guy who doesn’t see the glass half empty, i’d rather see it as half full and that I can make it full.
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I would avoid the term “e-juice”
an excellently put together letter brother, let’s hope it make’s it to him. well done 
Awesome effort, Robert!
‘Satisfaction for anyone’ isn’t really something we can quantify, or put a number on. I think it’s more of an opinion than a fact. As a former long time smoker (1 1/2 - 2 packs a day, for 45 years) I never go over 10 watts, and I was able to quit smoking in 3 days, after starting vaping. The point being, satisfaction is something different for everyone.
What I’d add to that part of the letter is the vast improvements to safety, from 2007 to present. Battery safety, temperature control, on board monitoring of various limits, to make it safer for the user. Also the industry didn’t need regulation by a government agency, to do it. They did it on their own, in the form of competition. By constantly improving their product, to be better.
Just my two cents.
Excellent job!
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Wonderful letter. Great job. I, for one, really appreciate your time and all of your efforts in this pursuit.
I can’t think of anything else that might help that has not already been suggested above by @woftam, @meadal, and the safety aspect, as suggested by @d_fabes.
First and third suggestions used, thanks! As for the term Big Pharma, that is sort of a common term with a derogatory connotation like the term Big Tobacco. It expresses many thoughts, least of which is their combined size and influence. I’ll keep this one.
I thought about this one a lot. I doubt very seriously a man this busy will watch a film as leisure time is probably not a luxury. Still, others will read the letter so I put it in. Thank you for the suggestion!
Agreed. Stricken and replaced. Thanks!
Excellent point. Re-worded.
Here’s where I have to weigh in with my own opinion. First, I’m not speaking to the safety of devices but rather the FDA’s overreach of authority by regulating a product as tobacco when it is not. That’s the main focus. Secondary to that (just barely) is the affect those regulations have over the decisions of citizens and impact to small business. But safety - I think that could be a fly in the ointment. Because there are too many stories too frequently of people blowing themselves up. I know, we can explain it, but it’s a damning indictment to vaping in general. So respectfully I think it best to keep the focus on the FDA’s collusion with big business to suppress vaping.
Yeah, I’m running a bit short on ideas as well. Also think it’s important to get this thing going asap.
Here’s a thought. I checked out change.org last night. I can start a petition, send it directly to Trump and Pence, include this letter and then we can promote the hell out of it. What does everyone think? Good idea or no?
Thank you guys so much for your thoughtful input. Very appreciated.
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Why not…won’t hurt
I like the idea of a group letter which it sounds you are shooting for but if this is to be a group letter then this paragraph will have to be rewritten to gear it to the Vaping Community and not to one’s personal experience. Your experience would not necessarily be the same as someone else’s experience…
As I said I do like the idea of a group letter HOWEVER, I also think it is a good idea for us to write our own personal letters to Trump. We must show that there is a valid problem with the FDA regulations and that it effects many. I urge everyone to take a little time and write your own personal letter to Trump…
I humbly suggest this paragraph be left in, and suggest to users of this letter to replace with their own experience.
I agree when it is a personal letter from a individual but not when it is being used as a letter from the Vaping Community. It should reflect the experience of the Community as a whole. This was the point I was trying to make. I am working on a personal letter right now and I can tell you that I did indeed tell my story briefly. Others should too if they write their own personal letter to Trump. I agree with you wholeheartedly…
Sorry about that, hate to do it to ya but someone’s gotta do it I guess…lol
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