I am really happy to share my story about quitting smoking especially if it can help someone else also quit. My sons purchased me an electronic cigarette for my birthday December 31, 2012. Talk about a hint. Anyway, I had been a heavy smoker for 34 years; I started when I was 13 back when everyone smoked and it was acceptable. There were even smoking zones in my high school. Although I have known that smoking is really bad for me and those around me, I have found it to be incredibly difficult to quit. The electronic cigarette sat on the table where I would go out and have a smoke on my porch. On a daily basis I just kind of looked at and pretty much ignored it. On February 20th I went to see my doctor for an annual check up and he said all was well, but mentioned the cigarettes are going to kill you. That was all he said about it, but pretty powerful words. I mentioned the electronic cigarette the boys had purchased me; honestly hoping he would steer me away from it. He said I should go for it. He mentioned that given all the negative and dangerous issues with cigarettes; the e-cigarette had to be a better alternative. I was thinking, damn, no help there. 🙂 Over the next week, I kept thinking about what he had said; the cigarettes are going to kill me. That weighed really heavy. Like I said, you know it is bad for you, but to have your doctor actually say this one thing is going to be what ends your life; well that is sobering. I have a lot of things I want to do and it will take many years to accomplish everything I want to accomplish in my life; how much would it suck to miss out on all my dreams just to smoke? On February 27th, I charged the e-cigarette and filled it with the e-juice. At 11:00 PM on the 27th I smoked my last cigarette. On the morning of the 28th I walked out on my porch and smoked the e-cigarette instead of a Virginia Slims. I will be honest, the first week was pretty rough, although, I never once smoked a regular cigarette. Your body misses all the crap in the regular cigarettes. It took about a week to realize that the Virginia Slims e-juice tasted nasty! I ordered a vanilla mint flavor and have not looked back so to speak. I started using strictly a high level nicotine e-juice, but have gradually cut the strength down. Here it is August 1 and I am using a mixture of low/medium. I hope to finally be a zero nicotine by my birthday, December 31, 2013. I am committed to never smoking again, so I am taking it slow. I promised myself I would not be one of those quitters who nag and annoy smokers and I have been true to my word. I honestly liked smoking. I have always said I have met some of the best people by going out to smoke. I continue to walk outside to smoke my e-cig but now I share my story and business cards for the e-cig distributer I use. No judgments, but if there is a safer alternative that will help you put down the cigarettes; why not try it? All I can say is, it is working for me! PS: I went to the doctor on Monday and he was super pleased! I was thrilled to tell him I no longer cough all day and I can walk an hour on the treadmill with out feeling like my lungs are going to collapse.