To whom it may concern, This is my story, my experience, and my love for a forever changed quality of life. I began smoking cigarettes at the age of 14, something that had ultimately and quantifiably affected my health as an adolescent and as an adult. My choice of becoming a smoker was potentially the worst decision I have ever committed to. The tens of thousands in financial waste, the addiction and desperation that seemed justifiable, and the loss of not only family members to cigarette related disease but the self harm that is only clear to me now since ridding my thoughts, lungs, and life of these horrible and down right evil 1x 4 boxes of hell. At the age of 30, both my now fianc?? and myself were still cigarette smokers. Still wasting money and health, and I do mean health! I woke every morning to coughing, headache, congestion, wheezy breathing, stale odor, and a tasteless mouth. My eyes had dark circles, and I physically felt strung out, anxiously reaching for my pack of cigarettes even whilst experiencing these horrifying physical examples of my body shutting down. On my 31st birthday, my fianc?? had said to me, I want to know you when you are old, I want to be with you on your 50th, 70th, and 90th birthday!…I want you to quit smoking!… Both of us QUIT Smoking!! The urgency and truth in her voice lead me to ask what should I do, I don’t know how! Of course I knew how!.. Throw these packs out and never look back! But, you see, I’ve done that! Probably in the realm of 10-20 times since the age of 13! Whether attempting cold turkey, trying the disgusting nicotine gum, or the physically horrifying patch. And I always looked back! In fact, I came running back! Every damn time! But I wanted this to work, I wanted what she wanted, I wanted to be DONE with cigarettes! I explained to her that I am afraid. I’m afraid of trying to give it up! Because the reality is.. I love smoking! I love the relaxation, I love the ritual, and dammit, I’m an adult! Why can’t I do what I love to do!? To put it simply, because it was killing me. My fianc?? suggested trying the e-cigarette, I liked the idea but as any smoker would be, I was apprehensive. I hated walking through the mall and having some kiosk sales person pitch a proposal in passing. But we thought, hey let’s try! We began our research on the e-cigarette, finding good things, bad things, and just plain garbage from naysayers. We decided on a well known starter company that had the complete package. We purchased, and we enjoyed it! But after a week or so frustration set in. My batteries would not last though the day.. My juice cartridges would fail.. My urge to go to the shop and loudly say give me a pack of Camel Lights! Started coming in waves! I told myself NO, I told myself that I had no right to throw in the towel over a little frustration! I was set on being done with Big Tobacco! This brought about research, A LOT OF RESEARCH! I started finding great community forums, websites with thousands of purchasing options and possibilities, brick and mortar stores for me to connect with and learn from, and some great people just like me! This proved to me that I had an outlet, a way of staying off cigarettes and finding an alternative to something I frankly enjoy. We as a modern society rely heavily on technology for everyday needs, quite often you can’t do anything anymore without technology being the transmitter. Why should a healthy alternative to smoking be any different. We have evolved, we’ve learned from our mistakes and we have used our brains to find solutions! But solutions based on personal adult choices. The access to these materials whether it be buying my favorite e-liquid, learning to make my own from a trusted and knowledgeable supplier, or buying a nifty, well working and rather beautifully crafted device, or learning a new method of making my own heating coil is what brought about a love for this new lifestyle. This love I speak of is no longer based on addiction! I know this to be true because I know what the addiction does, and this life is not that! Almost 3 years of vaping and I have never felt healthier! I breathe normally and can sing again without coughing, my quality of life and activity level is a complete dichotomy from that of 3 years ago, my taste sensation is more robust that I can ever remember, I no longer wreak of stale tar, which mind you I never believed I smelled like until noticing smokers come back from their breaks, I no longer wipe brown film off of my windows and television, I no longer burn myself with lit ash, my home and car no longer has an odor of a disgusting ashtray, I have however helped save not only thousands of dollars, but both mine and fianc??’s life! I truly believe that we as adults have every right as American Citizens to find a healthy alternative to smoking. We have the right to vape whatever flavor we choose to. Having a variety of flavors does not mean that it is being marketed to children!! Adults enjoy delicious flavor too, and we have every constitutional right to. I agree, that we need to do our best to keep children away from both cigarettes and any other substance that is harmful. Having flavors options or a ??cool new piece of vapor technology? is not based on reeling in children! I??m 33 and I love the new vaping technology being crafted or vaping something that tastes like S??mores. I didn??t have these kinds of flavors or device options when I was 14 and it didn??t prevent me from smoking cigarettes, and neither did the store clerk that would sell these packs of cigarettes to me! I believe that we SHOULD continue to have penalties for selling ??tobacco products? to children. I believe that we SHOULD continue to educate the youth of harmful products. But that is what parents are for, not a controlled society, leaving little self governing and a whole lot of global baby sitting. Our world and especially our Nation has a heap of problems to take on! Controlling an adults decision on healthily vaping an e-cigarette, regardless of taste or device) should be the least of concern! There has yet to be any logical proof to deem vaping or e-cigarettes in general any more harmful to our bodies or the people around us than that on grocery store shelves! DO continue to advise and guide, DO continue to provide research, DO continue to facilitate guidelines for keeping children safe, BUT PLEASE DO NOT take away an adults right to find safe and enjoyable options for smoking. Finally after 17 years, I have yet to look back, and I NEVER WILL! Please help me and the millions like me to never look back at traditional cigarettes, and please leave it up to US to decide. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, A loving Fianc??, healthy Father, dignified Vaper, and proud American Citizen. Christian V. Colaiacovo