I have to preface all of this by saying that I ƒ??quit smokingƒ? quite by accident. It was curiosity that brought me to electronic cigarettes as well as a growing dissatisfaction with smoking tobacco. Iƒ??d smoked for 21 years before making the switch to vapor. The real shock for me was that the switch was almost immediate. Within the first few hours using an e-cig I was convinced it was a viable and less hazardous alternative to my smoking habit. In the last few months of smoking Iƒ??d noticed that my first cigarette of the day made me feel tired, almost wiped out. It was becoming an unfortunate way to start the day. One weekend I decided to continue chewing the nicotine gum through my workday on Monday. I canƒ??t smoke at home so, for 3 years it had become standard practice for me to not smoke on the weekends, only use the gum. My experiment proved a failure. Two-thirds of the way through my work day. I had started going through what felt like acute withdrawal. It got so bad I came to the conclusion that if I didnƒ??t return to smoking immediately I wouldnƒ??t be able to drive for the rest of the day. Just to recap: even though I was using 4mg Nicotine gum to stave off cravings for cigarettes during work I still ended up experiencing withdrawal to the extent that I felt ƒ??too intoxicated to driveƒ?. Two weeks after my little experiment failed I decided to give an e-cig a try. I had seen someone we do business with using and enjoying them. This is a man that easily smoked one to two packs per day. I figured, if he can do it I could at least give them a shot. On Feb., 8th (2013) I went to a couple of different gas stations and purchased a couple of different disposable e-cigs. I used them off and on throughout the day and quickly came to enjoy them more than my tobacco cigarettes. The flavor was clean and I could feel I was still getting the nicotine. I used the e-cig for the rest of the day. That night I researched e-cigs online and ordered a starter kit. Within my first week of vaping I went through what could be a typical progression through the devices. I ordered my cig-a-like starter kit on Friday. Then, following a few hours of research, I ordered a Variable Voltage (VV) eGo battery, a pack of refillable cartomizers and, two bottles of eLiquid. I came to the conclusion that the cig-a-likes would get my foot in the door but, Iƒ??d need something more powerful to get me over the hump and sustain my notion that this was a viable alternative. My current devices of choice are considered ƒ??big battery modsƒ?. They deliver more consistent power and offer more features that allow for more variety in my vaping experience. Admittedly, my use of NRTs in the past were mainly in situations where I couldnƒ??t smoke (Public Transportation, other peopleƒ??s homes, certain social gatherings, etc.). I used nicotine gum in this manner for 5 years starting with 2mg gum as directed then bumping it up to 4mg when I felt it wasnƒ??t achieving the desired effect. I had resigned myself to be a smoker until I died or couldnƒ??t physically smoke anymore. Since Iƒ??ve switched to vapor products I no longer smoke or use the nicotine gum. Technically speaking, my ƒ??dual useƒ? has dropped to ZERO! I can breathe easier from not smoking and my jaws no longer ache in the morning from chewing the gum. I also seem to have gained most, if not all of the benefits of quitting smoking. My sense of smell and taste have come back and my clothing doesnƒ??t smell like an ashtray. Iƒ??m also free from the ƒ??feast or famineƒ? nicotine dosing inherent in smoking cigarettes. Using e-cigs has enabled me to maintain a more moderate nicotine level throughout the day. A more simple way to say this is that I donƒ??t experience intense cravings for nicotine anymore between uses. In fact, there have been times where Iƒ??ve ƒ??forgotten to vapeƒ?. Probably my most notable experience, other than the immediate transition and the positive changes in my health, occurred during the first two weeks I switched to vapor. I made a conscious choice to select the ƒ??highƒ? nicotine content (24mg) in all of the liquids and cartomizers I purchased. Experience had taught me that lower nicotine doses really wouldnƒ??t be effective in keeping me away from tobacco. However, despite selecting a ƒ??high nicotine contentƒ?, I still went through a period of withdrawal. This was different though. I was clearly satiating my bodyƒ??s want for nicotine but, I still felt somewhat ƒ??alteredƒ? from my normal state. The conclusion Iƒ??ve come to is that I was indeed experiencing withdrawal from cigarettes, just not from the nicotine alone. The other conclusion, which evidence seems to back up, is that my body absorbs nicotine differently when delivered in the form of vapor. So, on one hand I was stepping down my nicotine dosage due to the lower rate of absorption. On the other hand I was experiencing a withdrawal from the chemicals in cigarettes that enhance the rate of nicotine absorption. It was sort of a prolonged ƒ??A-Haƒ? moment where I fully realized the harm and deception wrapped up in tobacco cigarettes while simultaneously coming to appreciate this new reduced harm alternative. It is my sincerest hope that millions of current smokers have the opportunity to freely come to the same conclusions and experience the benefits of reduced harm smokeless products.