As Mother would say If the cool kids do it, you should too. Hearing that at 13 years old from somebody I idolized meant it had to be true, so when she handed me my first pack of cigarettes, i eagerly tried to smoke one. Coughed my lung up, forced the smoke down, liked the light-headed effect, coughed once more, convinced myself to finish it and BAM- the start of an awful habit. Having incredibly easy access to cigarettes was nothing but another way to seem cool to my friends and to show everyone that I did not care about what they said was bad or good. Smoking a pack a day (well, a little more than a pack because i often bummed a smoke off friends or family, but to make myself feel better i stuck with saying only 1 pack a day) for 5 years might not seem like a lot to some of the other smokers in the world. Some people have smoked more than that a day and for 40+ years! Although the time I smoked may not have been as lengthy as some other stories, as an adolescent, that seemed like my whole life. Being barely 19 years old now, the past year has drastically changed my life. As soon as i turned 18, i had a slight interest in e-cigarettes. Since there was a vapor store right across the street from my house, my boyfriend and I ventured over to see what the buzz was about. (My boyfriend is also a pack a day smoker and two years older than I am) We bought a Kit for a fairly decent price and had a chance to try flavors that were different from traditional tobacco or menthol. Getting no instruction and breaking the basic kit led us to believe that these were another smoking cessation bull crap story to get people to spend money. So we threw them in a drawer and on to smoking we went. A few months later i lost my job and went out job hunting. Driving past a bunch of Vapor stores i decided to stop by and give my application in. That is when EVERYTHING changed… Lifestyle Vapor has the name that is true. Vaping became more than a hobby, it became a lifestyle. I got the job and told them i had no idea how to really work it and that i tried before but alas, no luck. After a month of intense training and learning about the safety and harm of all things vape-related. I was promoted to the Assistant Manager. I was able to significantly cut back on my smoking habit from a pack a day, to less than half a pack. Partially because i worked 10 hours a day and could not smoke traditional cigarettes, and also because i was starting to see what the correct nicotine strength and flavor could do. About 2 months ago, i was able to say with honest heart honesty, that I am now Cigarette free! I found the perfect flavor (Cinnamon) and the best nicotine strength (16mg) and i hate the smell (more like REAAK), taste, and cost of traditional cigarettes. Not only did vaping change my life in a short amount of time, but after i received proper training, i was able to help aid others in completing their personal goals with vaping. Regardless if it is to cut back on smoking or quit completely. I get to come to work everyday knowing that yes, i am making a difference that is a harm-reduced alternative to traditional cigarettes. I will stand by vaping until my last breath, which will be a long time now that my lungs aren’t coated in the tar. Vaping is not a fab or just some little hobby for everyone. With proper training and support, anybody can meet their goals. Taking this right away will harm more people than it will help. It is a lifestyle that can not just be taken away by someone who is scared to lose business (cough Big Tobacco cough) and is willing to aid in killing people just so they can make a buck. Should there be regulations on the quality of liquids? Of course. Should there be minor changes in the industry? Yes there should be. But should you take away the chance to save lives because you are running tests on the WRONG products (ie. Chinese made e-liquid)? NO. People will fight for this right because it is not worth letting go. Ask the millions of people who smoke if they had the chance to quit smoking without giving up their oral sensations and majority will say yes. Regulate the smoke shops and bad stores, not the ones who are truly aiding in success.