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CharleneSTGLaneLTD

Tell congress to stop the FDA Tobacco deeming regulations!

The FDA tobacco deeming regulations that will go into effect on August 8,2016 will have a very negative impact on retail stores that sell tobacco.

Whether you are an adult that purchases and uses tobacco products or a small tobacco retailer, your help is needed to tell your two U.S. Senator and your U.S. Representative to stop the implementation of the FDA tobacco deeming regulations.

To do so, please type in the appropriate address below in your computer's browser. These addresses will take you to a pre-drafted letter for you to send to your congressional representatives.

Then, on the screen, type in your name, address, e-mail address and telephone number, Just click the "Send" button at the bottom of the screen and your letter will be automatically sent to your federal lawmakers.

Consumer letter: http://www.congressweb.com/nato/199
Piper retailer letter: http://www.congressweb.com/NATO/200

crapgame

done

thebadgerpiper

Did this last week to help support my fellow pipe smokers and retailers.

Abreathawayfromglory

I did it my wife did it and my son did it we all smoke pipes 

piperdave

I have done this and received a response from both of my U.S. Senators waiting on my Rep. Unfortunately, they read the per-drafted letter like it was asking for help with e-cigarettes and vaping. The majority of their reply was about those 2 items so they are not looking past that point. I have responded to their emails and explained my concerns in regards to the affect it is going to have on not just e-cigarettes and vaping but anything that contains nicotine which includes pipes, pipes tobacco and boutique cigars. All we can do is try and hope that our elected officials hear us. BTW, I have done some minimal research and the sad thing is that this all started back in 2009 and "big tobacco" basically the major cigarette companies where behind this and helped to mold these regulations... very sad seems they are just trying to stop the competition. Of course this is just my opinion. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, (Pub.L. 111–31, H.R. 1256) is a federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 22, 2009. The Act gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate the tobacco industry.

alanwhitaker

 I done this because my dad used to tell me if you don't do what you can to change something then don't complain when it changes for the worst.

PipeProfessor

Thanks for sharing! I hope we get a good response!

JoeHandyman

Another example of Big Government sticking its nose where it's neither needed nor wanted. Give bureaucrats a little power and they will abuse it to its greatest extent, and beyond.

JoeHandyman

I received canned replies to the emails I sent my senators and representatives. They only mentioned e-cigs specifically so it's anybody's guess whether they even know, or care, about its impact on pipe tobacco.

PipeProfessor

@joehandyman, pipe smokers represent a very small minority of the population, so I saddly expect that they even care since we don't have much voting power. 

JoeHandyman

Anyone know about the bill mentioned in the following letter from my Senator? Is it in response to the deeming regulations about which I contacted him?

"Thank you for contacting me to express your support for the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2015. I am glad to have the benefit of your views on this issue.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced S. 441 in the Senate on February 10, 2015. Currently the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is considering this legislation. Be assured I will keep your views in mind as Congress considers legislation affecting small businesses.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can ever assist you.

With best wishes, I am

Sincerely yours,

Roger F. Wicker"

PipeProfessor

I think it's a FL state bill to preserve jobs in the cigar industry.

Darmon

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important issue.

 

As you may know, on May 5, 2016, the FDA finalized a rule extending new regulatory authority to e-cigarettes and various other tobacco products, including cigars, pipe tobacco, and nicotine gels. Under the final rule, these products will be subject to controls such as registration and product listing requirements, prohibition on providing free samples, and restrictions on marketing products prior to FDA review. Moreover, these regulations will use February 15, 2007, as the grandfather date for newly deemed products, as established under the Tobacco Control Act.

 

On April 28, 2015, the FDA Deeming Authority Clarification Act of 2015 (H.R. 2058) was introduced in the House of Representatives. This legislation would change the grandfather date for newly deemed tobacco products from February 15, 2007, to the date on which the FDA’s regulations were finalized, May 5, 2016. H.R. 2058 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for further consideration. Although no similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate, you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind should relevant legislation be considered during the 114th Congress.

 

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent Texas in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

 

Sincerely,

 

JOHN CORNYN

United States Senator

 

So am I reading this correctly that, there is currently legislation before them that moves the grandfather date to May 5, 2016?

dcollar

Done.

drac2485

@Darmon That's the same letter I got.  I like that they are trying to move the date to when the ruling was passed but it ticks me off that the response is pretty much "whatever".  They don't take into consideration the impact on businesses and industry that the ruling is going to affect.  I really think all politicians need to be dragged out to the street and hung, maybe then we'd get people in office that care about the people and not just their pocket books.

Darmon

My view on the politicians is they are "supposed" to be representing their constituency, so their personal opinion doesn't really matter.  Or its not supposed to.  They should listen and vote according to the opinions of there constituency and not the big business lobbyists,  that being said I do understand that not "everyone" holds the same opinion.  But I don't see  very many people taking the time to contact their politicians in support of a law that isn't going to affect them. Just my opinion, for what its worth.

drac2485

@darmon I see your point. People that aren't affected by a law or ruling won't be contacting their reps to get it changed. I just seem to get into a rant about politicians here recently since so many of them seem to have their own agenda and, possibly, aren't truly representing their constituency

PipeProfessor

There was a 40% tax proposed in PA a few weeks ago. I talked with the IPCPR people last night and they said it was defeated because of all the letters people sent. Even though we may not be getting all of the responses we want, they said it's clear that our voices are being heard...which somewhat surprised me. 

Darmon

@pipeprofessor that's at least encouraging that some of the politians pay attention to the people they are supposed to represent

PipeProfessor

Truth @darmon, we need all the good news we can get.

drac2485

@pipeprofessor That is good news because it almost feels like the opposite with how things are going and all the antismoking regulations that have been going on for a while now

PipeProfessor

Right on @drac2485

2b1ask1

Done!