My name is Phil Jordan, I am 61 years old and live in Austin, TX. I smoked cigarettes starting in my early teens. At 17 years old I was smoking a pack a day. From approximately 28 years old, I was up two packs a day. I tried to quit many times, I’d say 10 or 12, without success. Some of my attempts were cold turkey, several times I used the gum, and a few times I tried the patches. I think my best effort kept me off of cigarettes for six weeks. I also incorporated lifestyle changes with these attempts. The usual things, diet, exercise, even yoga, meditation, and prayer. The products were ineffective and I failed miserably. Chewing gum all day while dealing with the public just didn’t work. To me, the patches did nothing. I have bipolar disorder and take several medications, adding Chantix was not recommended. I would become manic and severely depressed off of cigarettes and that issue can kill someone almost as effectively as cigarettes. The mania wasn’t the fun type and I had anger issues. My father died at 59, my age now, from lung cancer and had been a heavy smoker as I was. One week before I discovered e cigs I told a friend that I had no interest in quitting at this stage of the game. I bought a e cig at a convenience store just to see how bad it was. Maybe a part of me did want to quit. I couldn’t breathe and had 15 minute coughing episodes when I got in bed at night. I wheezed and couldn’t clear my throat. So, I did try the e cig. I guess I was impressed. I had eight Marlboro Lights left and smoked them all. That was 25 months ago and I have no cravings for a cigarette and all that goes with them. I will never smoke again. Within a week the cough and wheezing went away and though I haven’t been tested, I know that my lung function is greatly improved. Why wouldn’t it be? I have regained my sense of smell and can actually taste the food I eat. My house, car, and clothes no longer reek. Setting time limits on NRT’s is wrong. Setting lower nicotine levels in e cigs would be a disaster as many e cig users would return to cigarettes. By and large, e cig users represent a population that has tried everything to quit tobacco. As you well know, some people just cannot do it. A few examples: 1. father died at 59 from lung cancer, 2. my mother, lung cancer at 73, 3. aunt, lung cancer at 83, 4. uncle, lung cancer at 80, 5. and the most recent, my cherished brother John, lung cancer at 63. I would have died in his place if I could have. I use e liquid in my e cig, favorite flavors, fruit, Castle Long, and occasionally a tobacco flavor. Regulations, even bans put forth will, in my opinion, be the worst move the FDA or Congress has ever made. This not only makes me angry, confused, and bewildered, it makes me very, very sad. If the e cig patented in the ’60’s would have been produced I feel, no I know, that millions of lives could have been saved or extended. My doctor, my psychiatrist, my therapist, my brother, and my friends are very proud of me. I gave my doctors business cards from a local e cig store so they could give them to smokers who could not quit. My psychiatrist has handed out three. People can find their way. Millions have, it’s the e cig. Sticking a patch on your arm, chewing nasty tasting gum, popping pills have been an expensive flop. Ecigs are unique in that we still have the hand to mouth action and the inhale/exhale. Yes, they have nicotine but it isn’t the nicotine that kills you, it’s combustion, smoke, tar and carcinogens that e cigs don’t have. I follow smokers rules, I don’t use my e cig where smoking isn’t allowed. Not because of harming others like tobacco does, I just feel that it’s the proper thing to do. One last thing, I communicate with thousands of e cig users online and in person. I have never heard one say, you know I felt so much better smoking cigarettes. Not one! The total opposite, in fact. I ask for common sense and decency to let the most innovative harm reduction product in history to continue as is or the people lost to cigarettes will only increase. Cigarettes in a store will kill while ecigs and a huge industry will be eliminated. This industry is huge and that equates to family business’ and jobs. Jobs! Please, remind me why this makes a lick of sense. Recently i was rushed to the ER after a stomach health crises that produced two diagnosis’. Barrett’s Esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition and GERD that I never felt. Out of every doctor or RN asked me the same two questions, do you smoke or take NSAIDS. I told everyone that I quit cigarettes two years ago by switching to ecigs. Every single health professional I said that to said great job! Again, every single one said great job. There is a huge disconnect in what the FDA says and what doctors know. Please, please know, this is no time in history to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It’s your call. I plead with you to look at the FACTS. Do the only common sense in regards to harm reduction, support this industry now. Thank you so much for reading. Phil Jordan non-smoker 25 months