My name is Jordan, I started smoking when I was 14. I’m a very nervous person, and I suffer from minor panic attacks and depression. That is what lead me to smoking in the first place. I tried to quit 4 times while I smoked, and it never lasted for more than a few weeks. I tried counseling for the addiction once. It was completely useless. The cravings and ease of access to cigarettes would always bring me back. I developed a chronic cough when I was 16. I would always have an infrequent cough that would send me into fits 5 or 6 times a day. It would take months for it to go away, and any irritation to my throat(like a cold, flu, or other sickness) would bring it back with new strength. When I turned 18, the smoking got much worse. I was at a pack a day when one of my classmates showed me an electronic cigarette. I decided to try one on a whim, not even as a way of quitting. I was off analog cigarettes within a week, with no noticeable side effects. That was in February of 3013, and I have not had another cigarette since then. Since I stopped smoking regular cigarettes, my breathing has improved dramatically, I can exercise for longer and more effectively. The chronic cough has not come back since I started using electronic cigarettes. I truly believe that electronic cigarettes and other non-tobacco alternatives have saved many lives, including my own. If electronic cigarettes are banned, a lot of people are going to back on analog cigarettes, again, including myself. I’m incapable of eliminating nicotine from my life right now, and the electronic cigarettes give me an alternative that is better for me, and won’t harm my friends and family. That’s my story, I hope you make the right decision.