Hello! I don’t normally write on these sort of things, but I’m bothered with the number of hasty legislation pieces that seem to keep arising (and I’m sure will continue to-although I hope it won’t). I started smoking later than most people I know at the age of 21. 14 years later I couldn’t believe I had been smoking for 14 years! Every time I had tried to stop, I was back at the store ashamed of myself buying another pack. It was never the cost of the cigarettes that bothered me, it was what I knew it was doing to my health. I wanted to have a baby, but kept making myself promise to quit smoking before I even attempted to give the child the best possible shot in this world. After my divorce that wasn’t a factor, and I increased my smoking to about 5 packs a week (up from about half that prior). Tried patches – horrible nightmares, itchy skin, shaky during the day, and STILL craved cigarettes like crazy. Tried the gum, worst thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. Didn’t want to try medication as I don’t like taking pills I don’t have to take and the side effects scared me. Tried cold turkey – horrible 3 days until I broke down again. Tried cutting down – something stressful would happen and I’d go get another pack. I had never heard of vaping until I saw a woman out at a restaurant with this weird looking device. I asked her about it and she explained to me what it was. I was interested in finding out more so I went online later at home and delved into a good month of study. There were so many jargon terms I had never heard of before that I had to learn. I also spent a lot of time looking up the ingredients, safety, and asking a lot of questions in forums online. I decided to give it a shot and purchased an ego starter kit back in April of this year. Truthfully, after all of my other attempts I wasn’t expecting to actually quit. I thought I would probably last maybe a week, but that even a week of not smoking would be better than nothing. What came next took me by surprise. No cravings. NONE. I know each person is different, but for me for the first time in all of my times of trying I had NO cravings. I thought that would last a week and then I would. 1 week passed, 2…then I was at a month. Then 2 months. I’m sitting here today and I can’t believe I’m at 4 months without a cigarette (and not even WANTING one or having a craving for one this whole time – even when out with friends that still smoke). I know 4 months isn’t a long time to some people, but for the first time in my entire life I KNOW I’m done. They don’t even smell good to me anymore (which is also a first). I’ve now converted 4 other friends and family members to electronic cigarettes. So far none of them have gone back to smoking either. I’m pretty sure this will sound stupid, but for once I’m proud that I quit. That I COULD do it. That there was something out there for me. That my health IS getting better. I can breathe. I can taste things. I’m not coughing up strange gross things. I don’t stink and neither do my clothes and hair. Now I’m the one that’s out at restaurants and bars and have people asking me What is that?. I explain it the same way that woman did to me. If it helps someone get rid of those 500+ chemicals in cigarettes then that’s a huge bonus to me in the pay it forward world. At the very least I’m so happy and feeling so great about myself and my life. If you told me that going in I’d probably laugh. Yeah right. Now I feel bad that past me would even think like that and wish that I had found out about this sooner. To everyone that’s helped me with my questions and research – thank you – without you I don’t know if I ever would have given this a shot, and I’m grateful.