FDA- The Fox in the Chicken House

Ddoesn't it seem a little strange that the agency that is given certain authority over tobacco and replacements is also strongly anti-tobacco and lukewarm on replacements.  They are currently marketing the largest anti-tobacco (not just smoking) and most gruesome program, yet they are given power over what they deem safer or less harmful.  They have the power to control what enters the market and oversight of what is added (such as flavourings in vaping products).It can formulate generalized warnings, create its own scientific advisory committees.  It can decide what is a tobacco product and has given time lines for entities to be grandfathered into the market.

It cannot- ban an entire class of products.
               require the total elimination of nicotine from tobacco products.
               make tobacco a prescription drug
               it cannot regulate farming.

See http://www.fda.gov/tobaccoproducts/default.htm for more information on their official sight.

The tobacco product as consumed in direct leaf form, is heavily laden with carcinogens, nicotine not being one of them.  To lump vaping products into the tobacco class may be a necessary evil, but to subject nicotine solutions to the same labeling and regulatory statutes is at least premature.

Cigarettes are carcinogenic, nicotine has not been shown to have this property.

How long and how painful will the demands of FDA testing of vaping liquids be- no one knows.  It is obvious from their suit to make vaping tools drug delivery systems the following fears are in the eyes of the FDA:

• If a nicotine product is shown safer, they lose power.
• The use of a substance not meant to be a cessation device, is not in their thinkable agendas.
• They will be forced to monitor closely drugs and medications for cessation and the serious and dangerous side effects of these agents that in comparison to tobacco were seemed safer (Chantix!)
• They'll lose funding jobs and prestige

So the fox is in the chicken house and must make liquid nicotine vaporizers and juice an example.

Our job is to fight honestly, self regulate and be pro-active.
We must "sell" through truth and studies that our claims of less health damage are true.
We must monitor ourselves first and set of guidelines for manufacturers to follow.

There is nothing like a good offense.


zjohn