I am taking the time to write to share my experience and knowledge, in hope of helping people, assisting researchers, and aiding those wishing to review the issues involved in using the vaporized form of nicotine commonly, but inaccurately, referred to as ??electronic cigarettes??. I smoked tobacco cigarettes for 28 years, over which time I made a number of serious attempts to quit. I tried cessation products with varying degrees of initial success, unfortunately followed by failure. I cannot express how discouraging each failure was, compounded by embarrassment, since I am a practicing physician. Frankly, I had pretty much resigned myself to the realization I may never successfully quit and may well have to accept the potential consequences. Finally, in 2009 I became acquainted with what people were calling ??personal vaporizers?? or ??electronic cigarettes??, apparently invented by a Chinese pharmacist whose brother had died of cancer, as a smoking alternative. I tried one with disposable, pre-filled cartridges. It helped me cut back somewhat, but it didn??t work well since it had poor vapor production and without the ability to ??top it off?? and keep the wick wet, dried out too quickly to be a viable alternative. Soon I tried another one with refillable cartridges. I smiled and thought that with this I may actually be able to quit. Each day I found myself smoking less and less real cigarettes, with some effort, but minimal. Simply put, at the end of one busy day I realized I hadn??t used a real cigarette all day. That was it ?? the end of a previously unsuccessful battle that had lasted decades. I have remained engaged for 4 years to date, have helped numerous people quit using tobacco, and often frequent forums and ??vapor lounges??. Such lounges enable one to try new products and compare experiences with others. In a way, it is like a support group. I quickly learned that my experience was anything but unique, rather it was typical, and I say this having met many hundreds, if not thousands in the same situation as myself. Over the years products have improved rather quickly due to demand, and folks have generally replaced imported Chinese liquid with USA made liquid from professional US labs ?? brands like Liqua, Halo, and Johnson Creek, and labs with impeccable quality control, such as Johnson Creek. However, there is a shadow hanging over all of these people ?? a shadow of fear that those with a personal interest or perceived duty will attempt to ban or regulate the product, and in the name of protecting their safety, actually drive them back to tobacco, adversely affecting their safety in a far worse way. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of ignorance and misinformation out there. When I told my internist what I used, she replied, ??I??m sure it??s much healthier, but we don??t know what??s in them.? I explained, with all due respect, that we know exactly what??s in them. It perked her interest when I showed her mine and explained it was nothing more than glycerin USP, food flavoring, and 1.8% nicotine. Note: some prefer a base of glycerin or propylene glycol (another common food additive), or a combination of the two, and some labs add distilled water to thin the consistency and/or citric acid to preserve the product and flavor. Regarding health affects, within a brief period after switching I no longer coughed or wheezed, my lung function improved dramatically, as evidenced by no longer feeling ??short of breath??. I could exercise longer and walk farther. My blood pressure improved a small but noticeable amount. My wife noted that my skin tone/color improved, and my senses of smell and taste improved so much that cooking and eating was like a new experience. Again, my experience was not unique and virtually every person I??ve talked to had similar positive health effects after making the switch. These are the noticeable effects, however, the reduction of risks of deadly illness and/or exacerbation of many conditions and diseases is nothing short of profound. As I speak to more and more folks who ??vape?? as an alternative to smoking tobacco, there is a common thread ?? they firmly believe this product has been a life saver and changed their lives for the better. They are correct. Many, many people now have hope and a new ??lease on life?? having finally found something that actually works for quitting tobacco use. People who have tried and failed using patches, pills, and lozenges/gums, have finally succeeded. My theory on why it works is simple. It??s not only replacing nicotine, one of the most addictive substances known to man, it replaces the habit with something extremely similar. It replaces the psychological component of smoking. Simply put, it feels like you are smoking, even as you are not. Nothing else comes close to satisfying this criterion. I once talked to a female psychologist who admitted to still having urges & even dreams about smoking nearly two decades after quitting ?? that??s how strong the psychological component is. Question: Would these people return to tobacco cigarettes if vapor producing nicotine products were not available? The answer is an unequivocal ??yes??. This is probably true in most cases if the products were limited from their favorites or nicotine levels were reduced. It generally takes nicotine strengths of 18-24mg./ml. to initially get off tobacco. Most then generally reduce levels to 12-18mg./ml. Frankly, a surprising number reduce the levels to zero nicotine and enjoy ??vaping?? on occasion, but from that point they don??t ??have to??. That brings me to the question of whether it works as a cessation product. We always see disclaimers that it is not sold and has not been tested as a cessation product. How ridiculous & mired we get it legal correctness. Test away, but you don??t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows. Just talk to the hundreds of thousands who have ceased tobacco use, and the many who have then stopped vaping after achieving zero nicotine levels. It??s rather ironic that it works far better in practice than products marketed as cessation products, yet it may not be marketed as such. What??s wrong with this picture? And if they ever slipped back for a time, it would be overwhelmingly to vaping, not tobacco. Nevertheless, there are those who oppose the use of this product. It??s beyond the scope of this statement to speculate why, but it would range from economic interests and ??marching orders??, to psychological issues, to a perceived sense protecting the public from themselves. Right, let??s restrict a product, not much different from pharma products available at any Walmart, that is most certainly a viable alternative to a deadly product, while permitting the deadly product to remain readily available. Is there still a place for reason, logic, and common sense? As a scientist and physician with a good working knowledge of human physiology, pathology, and biochemistry, I believe the relative safety to that which it replaces, cigarettes, is off the charts. Cigarettes account for enormous human suffering and hundreds of billions in annual health care costs. Studies are always welcome, but keep in mind that there are few substances that have been studied more than nicotine, and glycerin and food flavoring has been approved for human consumption for a long time. The human body knows no difference how nicotine is ingested, be it via the lungs and mucous membranes of the mouth (such as tobacco cigarettes, a product like the Nicotrol inhaler producing a nicotine vapor, lozenges, or the nicotine vapor produced by ??e-cigs??) or transdermal patches. If you are a smoker wishing to quit, you can do it with this product. Don??t start with disposable pre-filled products as they may not produce enough vapor to effectively quit. I??ve talked to countless people who tried these and gave up, saying they just didn??t work for them. However, when they then tried quality products they were successful. Consider beginning with 18 mg./ml. (1.8%) nicotine strength, and you should be able to avoid the desire for a cigarette using 2-4 ml. per day. I give ranges since it depends on how heavy a smoker you were. Oh, and you are not consuming that much nicotine using simple math. 4 ml. of 18 mg./ml. is 72 mg. total, but this is not the nicotine delivered. Heat destroys nicotine and after being vaporized by a red-hot coil, only a fractional amount is delivered. You may be surprised that the pack of cigarettes you used contains 200 mg. of nicotine, but only about 20 mg. is delivered ?? most of the nicotine is destroyed by the heat of burning the tobacco. I used to reach for a cigarette 1st thing upon waking, but now I vape 12 mg./ml. in the morning and feel zero urge for a cigarette. During the day I usually use 18 mg./ml. In the evening when relaxing and vaping more, I use only 6 mg./ml. Once you have beat the cigarette habit for several months, it is fairly easy to decrease the strength, and I??ve gone through long periods where 6 mg./ml. is quit sufficient for maintenance. The most important advise I can give is if you are around smokers and feel the urge to smoke, simply increase nicotine strength and the urge will pass. You??ve put much time, money, and effort into quitting ?? once you have it beat don??t slip. I assure you, it??s a very slippery slope back to tobacco. Several interesting things on the political front: ??Big Tobacco?? (RJ Reynolds) has bought into these products. This isn??t surprising since they developed a ??smokeless?? cigarette years ago, ironically using an atomized vapor of nicotine. On the plus side, these people may have the money & pull to counter the lobby that just cannot stand to see anything which remotely resembles a cigarette in your hand. On the negative side, they bought into pre-filled disposable cartridges and may push these to the exclusion of competition. Second, one state legislature did pass a ban (California), but it was fortunately vetoed by the governor, sighting that it was an encroachment on freedom of choice. Mayor Blumberg is next ?? the same fellow who wants salt restricted, govt. to mandate soda size, and baby formula in hospitals to be locked up. I also believe that any restrictions would produce a black-market which would make prohibition look like child??s play. Why? Two main reasons: Nicotine is far more habit forming than alcohol, and nicotine is far more easy to transport undetected. (A one quart plastic bag of 3 oz. size bottles, permitted by the TAS, can contain enough nicotine to produce 300 15ml. bottles of e-liquid, at 2%, 600 bottles at 1%.) I am rather optimistic about the future of these products. I believe eventually it will be determined that the relative safety and benefits far outweigh any criticism, especially in a country with grave concerns of health care costs.