WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, wish to petition Congress to: 1) BAN the use of all media (TV, radio, magazines, etc.) used to promote PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. We not only find the ads offensive, we wish to point out that WE cannot prescribe drugs for ourselves therefore, marketing to the public a) drives the costs of prescriptions to include costly advertising b) is an obvious marketing ploy to entice non-medically trained citizens to urge their physicians to prescribe unnecessary drugs c) encourages drug use by our children who are being indoctrinated to accept prescription drugs as a normal way of life. 2) BAN the advertising of NRT products on TV, radio, magazines and the sports/Hollywood sponsors of their products. Nascar has a huge following. Nicotine is addictive and harmful in any form. Ban ALL advertising of products containing nicotine. Children underage purchase these products without being asked to show ID. Hollywood actress Jessica Simpson referred to Nicorette as "having a party in her mouth". http://news.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-2/Minors-able-to-buy-nicotine-replacement-therapy-products-3997-1/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/28/jessica-simpson-talks-dat_n_554924.html 3) CHANGE TAX CODES TO LEGALLY FORCE ALL NON-PROFITS to spend more of their vast wealth on the purpose for which they've been given the advantage of being "tax exempt". 4) ENACT LEGISLATION to force ALL NON-PROFITS (many of whom are wealthy) to pay property taxes. For example, the American Cancer Society owns billions of dollars of real estate, yet they pay $0 in property taxes. They, too, should pay property taxes as do ALL U.S. citizens. They get no free ride. 5) ENACT LEGISLATION that PROHIBITS Federal Government grants from being given to NON-PROFITS. They are already wealthy enough. If the Government taxes US less, WE would be able to help our neighbors and organizations WE CHOOSE to help. These decisions should not be made by our Government nor funded by our Government. 6) ENACT LEGISLATION that PROHIBITS all NON-PROFITS from PROFITING in any manner from legislation or laws the NON-PROFITS fund, etc. For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation owns 42,343,491 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock. They funded and/or created and funded organizations such as Tobacco-Free Kids to lobby for laws to increase taxes on cigarettes, enact smoke-free laws, while RWJF profits financially (and gain power) from the sales of the pharmaceutical company's form of nicotine (NRT). 7) ENACT LEGISLATION that PROHIBITS ALL NON-PROFITS from creating 501(c)(4) ("foundations", "action funds" action networks", etc.) in addition to their 501(c)(3). Tax deductible donations from 501(c)(3)s are too "moved" to the 501(c)(4) in other forms, such as "grants". NON-PROFITS should ONLY have one 501(c) or the other. 8) AUDIT bi-annually, ALL NON-PROFITS who currently have both 501(c)(3)s and (4)s to ensure compliance to tax codes. 8) REDEFINE "lobbying" activities to LEGALLY LIMIT the activities that allow them audience with our lawmakers. WE THE PEOPLE will tell Congress what laws we want, NOT WEALTHY NON-PROFITS who get around "lobbying" by saying they are "educating" our lawmakers. THEY LOBBY. WE WANT IT TO STOP. 9) ORDER AN INDEPENDENT investigation into Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and Fire Safe Cigarettes. As consumers, we have a right. Nicotine replacement gum has been found to be more addictive to many users than tobacco, it has extremely dangerous side effects and has been linked to an increased risk of oral cancer. We do NOT want the FDA to conduct this INDEPENDENT investigation as we believe the FDA to be biased. The FDA has a track record of allowing TOO MANY products to be marketed that we believe are harmful. http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=18612&name=NICORETTE&page=1 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6143744.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084 10) WITHDRAW federal monies, such as stimulus money, from purchasing NRT. Not only is the gum addictive and harmful, the gum and lozenges pose increased risks for developing cancer, but studies show 1) the patches have a 98.4% FAILURE rate for quitting long term (1 year) http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/338/apr02_3/b1024 and 2) more people quit successfully COLD TURKEY, NOT by using drugs. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/plos-nrt020410.php It is a waste of our tax dollars to fund products to get smokers to quit smoking. It is NOT OUR JOB to fund drugs. These funds would be better used elsewhere. 11) ENACT LEGISLATION to legally require the levying of fines and felony convictions for shoddy science. Unfortunately, junk science has become the norm. The scientific community, public health organizations, etc. should be held to a high standard. Legislation is enacted based on shoddy reporting. Private property rights are stripped. Peer reviewed studies are a sham. WE propose that ALL studies and science-by-press-release be required to be compliant with the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, 2000, 2nd Edition. http://www.fjc.gov/public/pdf.nsf/lookup/sciman00.pdf/$file/sciman00.pdf 12) UNDERSTAND that WE THE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT OUR LIVES CONTROLLED, OUR BEHAVIORS DEMONIZED, OUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND PROPERTY RIGHTS STRIPPED. Nationwide, 19.8% of the adult, voting-age population smoke LEGAL products. Nationwide, 26.6% of the adult, voting-age population are obese. We are TIRED of special interest groups and our ELECTED Leaders/Federal Government INTERFERRING in our lives. We are TIRED of others deciding what's "good for us and our children", of "protecting us from ourselves". WE THE PEOPLE WANT YOU OUT OF OUR LIVES. WE DO NOT WANT OUR BEHAVIORS CONTROLLED OR DECIDED FOR US. WE ARE A LARGE VOTING POPULATION AND WE WILL VOTE YOU ALL OUT OF OFFICE. WE THE PEOPLE, respectfully request these 12 items be openly discussed by Congress and that legislation be enacted to carry our wishes to fruition.

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