Good Afternoon, I would like to share with you all, my success story, as I Shaun Whyte have quit smoking cigarettes. I have smoked for a total of 20 years, starting from the age of 13. I grew up in the Bronx, New York, where popularity among peers is how you stayed afloat socially. I began smoking because it was the cool thing to do at the time and it has stuck with me ever since. I have completed a total of 3 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have tried quitting numerous times. I’ve tried the patch, gum, and Chantix. My Fianc?? asked me to venture with her, to quit smoking with the aid of Chantix. Myself and her, took it for a period of 2 weeks, where her side effects consisted of bad dreams, where as mine consisted of a very bad mood/edgy. It was agreed upon, with the both of us, that I could not handle it and would continue to smoke due to the state it put me in. I continued to smoke through all attempts as they did not seem to make a difference as I would want to smoke anyway. I’ve always considered myself to have willpower, but due to the nature of what cigarettes to, I quickly went back to them because it caused some type of relief from stressful situations. I am a Government Contractor for the United States Army, I instruct Soldiers on Basic Information Technology. I have to travel a lot to different installations to conduct these courses. One of my co-workers peaked my interest as he was vaping on a device which mirrored the size of a cigarette box. It contained e-liquid, in which was when I inquired what it was specifically. He then explained it to me, described it helped him quit and pointed me in the direction of where he made the purchase, which was locally. After work, I made my way to a store front called The Vaporium, located in Lacey, WA. As I stepped into the store, the personnel welcomed me and proceeded to ask me questions. I declared it was my first time in a store like this and would like to take baby steps, which included them explaining it to me. They handed me an informative sheet, showcasing the difference between analog cigarettes and e-cigarettes. I was appalled at the sight of how many carcinogens were included in normal cigarettes. Furthermore, they led me to purchase my very first starter kit, which contained a ego style battery and clearomizer. I also purchased the liquids of my liking and they were no where near the taste of tobacco. Before leaving the store, I ended up buying my Fianc?? a kit also. I have since then quit smoking regular cigarettes, and have become disgusted with the taste and smell of them. I have done extensive personal research on numerous amounts of products to include starter kits, e-liquids, and Advanced Personal Vaporizers. I have become somewhat of a hobbyist because of the sheer amount so customization available. I enjoy vaping and the community it brings. I don’t consider it a lifestyle, I consider it a lifestyle change to being healthier.