[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13703-13704]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               FDA OVERREACH WILL DESTROY VAPING INDUSTRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the FDA's 
inappropriate efforts to decimate the vaping industry.
  Dozens of my constituents have written to me about the dramatic 
positive impact vaping has had on their lives. Each of these Americans 
has also expressed concern that the FDA's regulations will take away 
the very thing that has helped them begin to lead a healthier 
lifestyle.
  Andrew Driscoll of Boone wrote: ``Vaping has allowed me to quit a 
pack-a-day habit of smoking after years of trying other nicotine 
products to quit . . . innovation by small businesses to create helpful 
products that facilitate positive lifestyle changes should not be 
stifled by overregulation by the FDA.''
  Dorothy Berryhill-Sanderson of Winston-Salem started smoking when she 
was 16 years old. She wrote that she was ``able to finally stop smoking 
a year and a half ago by vaping. I went off asthma meds within 6 months 
and high blood pressure meds shortly afterwards.''
  Seth Marion of Yadkinville tried a variety of measures to quit 
smoking, but nothing worked until he tried vaping. He wrote to me to 
stress ``how important it is to support vaping and the lives it is 
changing.''
  Kayla Hildebran of Taylorsville vowed to quit smoking when her 3-
year-old daughter asked her to stop. She wrote about her opposition to 
the FDA regulating ``something that has not only changed my life for 
the better but hers too.''
  In addition to numerous individuals, I am also hearing from business 
owners in my district who will be impacted by these rules. The FDA 
estimates there are between 5,200 and 10,200 businesses in the United 
States that make and/or sell electronic nicotine-delivery systems. The 
agency has said that number could drop between 30 percent and 70 
percent with the new regulations, which is outrageous.
  Vaping helped Chris Winfrey of Winston-Salem quit smoking. As a 
result, he organizes nationwide trade shows and conventions for vaping. 
He wrote that ``my businesses will no longer be able to exist, and I 
will no longer be able to employ the people I do.''
  Josh Frazier of Statesville owns a local vaping business and asked me

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``why the FDA wants to basically eliminate this industry.''
  These regulations are yet another example of the Obama 
administration's pattern of stifling the American economy through 
unnecessary rules. It is important for the well-being of citizens 
across this country that we stop this Federal overreach and that we 
allow vaping and other nontraditional products to compete in the 
marketplace.

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