I’ve lived for many years now, 65 to be exact. I began smoking at 14 years of age after my father, a man tortured by having lived an awful childhood, took his own life. I was told his death was accidental which was probably easier on me than the truth. My devastated mother had little left to give a quiet bookish girl who didn’t demand attention as my younger sister did or turn to her peers as my teen age older sister did. I quietly began smoking my mothers cigarettes as I hid in the tops of trees on our land, still reading my books. Cigarettes quickly became my every day companions. I loved smoking and was certainly addicted to nicotine almost as soon as I began smoking. After many years I became concerned about my health and also influenced by peer pressure not to smoke, so tried to stop; many times, with many different methods and aids. I’ve tried them all and I failed time after time. I tried gum, patches, hypnotism, lozenges and cold turkey. I was failing. I was a failure. Yes that failure affected my confidence, my social life and even my job prospects but I couldn’t shake the addiction. Today I sit in my room in my big easy chair doing things that 14 year old girl couldn’t have easily conceived of. I’m writing my story on a little cell phone (upon which I was browsing the net when I became aware of this project) I’m drinking tea made with the instant hot water I drew from my tap, and I am smoking an electronic cigarette that provides surcease for my need for nicotine, burns nothing and provides water vapor instead of smoke as a medium for alleviating the pain caused by attempting to ditch my addiction. My family and my doctor applaud me, approve my choice and encourage me to continue to use my E-cigarette. No longer a social pariah or at grave medical risk because of smoking cigarettes, I am well pleased with my self and my world because of Electronic Cigarettes which enabled me to quit the deadly cancer causing addiction. I now see myself as a happy well adjusted twenty first century woman. LOL (or laughs out loud) as we say in many on-line communities. That is my story. I hope it is useful or even entertaining to those who may read it. I do wish you well. Sincerely, Dona Burns MD, USA