Congressional Oversight Committee wants to hear from YOU!

Posted by on March 18, 2011 No comments

Darrell Issa (Congressman from California’s 49th District) wants to hear from electronic cigarette users about how the FDA wastes taxpayer money on litigation.

From @TreeceVapes:

TreeceVapes Congressional Oversight Committee head Darrell Issa wants to hear from us. Tweet @DarrellIssa about FDA & e-cigarettes!

Take this opportunity to give the government the news on how the FDA has been treating e-cigarette users!

From @DarrellIssa:

DarrellIssa What do you want from your government? @ msg me with your answer, and I appreciate an RT so we can hear as many views as possible. Thank you

Darrell Issa was appointed head of the Congressional Oversight Committee last year. Here is a description of what the committee is from their website:

Congressman Darrell Issa

Darrell Issa - Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has legislative jurisdiction over the District of Columbia, the government procurement process, federal personnel systems, the Postal Service and other matters. Our primary responsibility, however, is oversight of virtually everything government does – from national security to homeland security grants, from federal workforce policies to regulatory reform and reorganization authority, from information technology procurements at individual agencies to government-wide data security standards.As the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, we will work with our colleagues in the minority to exercise effective oversight over the federal government and will work proactively to investigate and expose waste, fraud, and abuse.

As the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, we will work with our colleagues in the minority to exercise effective oversight over the federal government and will work proactively to investigate and expose waste, fraud, and abuse.”

More from @TreeceVapes:

Not long after Issa’s appointment, he announced what was essentially his “hit list” of government organizations, and the FDA was on it. Not long after that, Josh Sharfstein resigned as FDA Deputy Commissioner, and there’s been some speculation that his resignation was a direct response to Issa’s appointment (i.e., perhaps a sign that Sharfstein feared Issa).

Here is a sample tweet that @TreeceVapes did to the congressman:

@DarrellIssa FDA wastes taxpayer money on litigation (despite losing 2X) and misinformation campaign about e-cigarettes. Please help us!

This is a perfect opportunity to let the government know how we feel and to stop being bullied. Tweet DarrellIssa and let your voice be heard!

Join our discussion at International Vapers Club.

FDA Request to Appeal Rejected By U.S. Court of Appeals

Posted by on January 24, 2011 No comments

Electronic cigarette users everywhere are rejoicing today following the ruling by the United States Court of Appeals that the FDA‘s request for a rehearing was denied. The entire court unanimously declined the FDA‘s rehearing request. This is a giant step towards e-cigarettes being regulated like traditional tobacco products. Consumers view this as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes rather than as pharmaceutical smoking cessation devices. The FDA claimed that an electronic cigarette was basically just another tool to quit smoking, much like the nicotine gum, lozenges, and sprays that are available now, marketed as smoking cessation devices, but the ruling denied them the ability to regulate electronic cigarettes as such.

Electronic cigarettes are made up of three parts: the battery, the atomizer, and the nicotine liquid that, when heated, creates a fine water-vapor based mist. The mist allows users to get a small dose of nicotine and flavoring. Basically, a high tech version of a traditional cigarette, only without the combustion of plant material. This means no burning, no tar, and the vapor dissipates rapidly leaving only a light scent in the air. Users are able to pick from varying levels of nicotine strengths, even all the way down to zero nicotine, and flavors. Due to the fact that there is no combustion of plant material, the user doesn’t get the large amounts of combustion related carcinogens present in traditional tobacco products. In short, it’s a smart alternative to traditional tobacco products.

The FDA is currently “considering it’s legal and regulatory options” to pursue the case further. The next steps would be to bring it to the United States Supreme Court, but since the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected it unanimously, it is unlikely that it would be granted. Regardless of the likelihood, the FDA still has the option to pursue and push the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court also refused the FDA‘s motion to keep intercepting product shipments from China.

So what does this mean for the average vaper? We’re still unclear if the FDA will continue to stop shipments to other vendors from China, but it is likely that as long as the vendor doesn’t make claims that the devices are marketed as smoking cessation devices the shipments should be allowed. It will be a long road to finally be accepted as a smoking alternative, but this is a huge step in the right direction.

Join us in our discussion of the ruling here:
http://www.internationalvapersclub.com/law/fda-request-to-appeal-rejected-t1334.html

Court documents can be downloaded here:
Court Appeals rejects rehearing, pg. 1
Court Appeals rejects rehearing, pg. 2

Via: WSJ

New York Bill to Ban E-Cigarette Sales – Call to Action

Posted by on January 22, 2011 No comments

The New York State Assembly Health Committee has A01468 on its meeting agenda for this coming Tuesday, 1/25, at 12 noon. If the bill is favorably reported out of committee, it will then go to the full Assembly for a vote – where the identical bill passed unanimously last year! It did not become law only because the Senate version never got out of the Senate Health Committee last year.

Here is the bill memo and text: Bills

It is Section 2 (starting at line 37) that purports to ban all sales (unless and until approved by the FDA as a cessation product), while Section 1 only bans sales to minors, etc.

While we probably have a better chance of stopping this in the NYS Senate, we still need to try and stop it at the Assembly level.

We would normally be asking for snail mail, because that would seem to be more effective than emails, due to the shortness of notice for Tuesday, we are asking members to send either emails or better yet faxes, and even more importantly, to please find some time on Monday and/or Tuesday morning to make phone calls, if not to all of the committee members, then at least to the Chair and one or two others.
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Hello Vapers!

Posted by on January 11, 2011 No comments

Welcome to the International Vapers Club’s new blog! We’re currently in the process of updating and creating content for it so please check back with us soon.