I’ve been smoking daily since the age of 16. I’ve been on a large pack of cigarettes (25) a day for 7 years. I’ve tried using nicotine gum but it was simply disgusting and didn’t help at all. It was also relatively expensive. My first experience with e-cigarettes was with the first model available here in The Netherlands, about 6 to 7 years ago. The device was an automatic-switching type that looked like a cigarette with disposable cartridges. My dad bought and didn’t like it so I decided to give it a try. It was expensive to buy AND to maintain. On top of that the pre-filled disposable cartridges had a very low amount of nicotine. The device looked like a cigarette and gave a bad performance in all areas that e-cig users (vapers) enjoy today. The tingly sharp feeling in the throat, the flavor and amount of vapor. I didn’t enjoy it either and put it away in a box to be forgotten. Fast-forward 6 years. My ex-girlfriend bought an e-cig from a kiosk at the mall. Of course I was skeptical after my first experience. However I bought one as well when I saw how much we both enjoyed it. The flavors were pretty good and the technology had improved a lot. What I enjoyed the most was being able to regulate my own puffs. I can change the ammount of nicotine, I can change the flavors, I can hold down the button. I was still smoking 1 cigarette a day after I bought mine, but that did not last even a week. I immediately noticed an improved sense of taste and smell. Everything suddenly had much more taste to it. I’m pretty sure my heart-rate has dropped quite a bit as well since I quit smoking. Since then I’ve been able to breathe much more easily and I haven’t coughed up phlegm a single time. After we lost contact to our supplier I started learning about e-cigs and what others models were available. I was happy to see most devices are completely interchangeable; most batteries will fit any delivery device. I was a bit blown away by the sheer amount of things that were on the market. After 5 months of vaping I bought another complete kit as I wasn’t sure how long my first would last me. At that point I started trying out different delivery devices and learned about ‘rebuild-ables’. These devices are made so the user can easily do all the maintenance required to keep it running. My main e-cig is now a large device with a regulated wattage output. It enables me to adjust the heat coming off the heating coil, optimizing it for certain flavors. It takes a universal type of high-drain battery that’s normally found in professional flashlights or laptops. Sitting on top of it is a tank of e-liquid that will last me a day with a heating coil that I can easily rebuild myself (to save cost on replacement). What’s more, somebody made custom parts for the e-liquid delivery device that I used to improve my flavor experience. The mouthpiece is custom-made as well. For outdoor use I take a pen-sized model that’s much more easy to put in my pocket. I like to think of vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. Several studies have shown there are little to no harmful substances in the vapor. The stuff that comes off a real cigarette makes these amounts even more insignificant. What I love about vaping today is the vast ammount of excellent flavors and excellent devices available. As a new user it is almost hard to buy a bad device these days. There is also a big community that keeps innovating the vaping experience. For example supplier A starts making custom parts for device B by supplier B. However this doesn’t seem to bother supplier B at all. Isn’t that great? Friends and family have been really supportive, I even get the occasional comment about how nice the vapor smells. People who never saw modern e-cigs become extremely curious, especially when they see my large device. Of course I’m always happy to tell them all about it and answer every question. I really wish for politicians and lawmakers to open their eyes to this quiet revolution that’s taking place. Banning or extensive regulation is not the answer and will indirectly cause more cancer if less people pick up e-cigs. I’d rather see it marked as luxury goods and perhaps pay more for the liquids. Vaping is my safe alternative to smoking and it could be for many more.