Hi, I’m a 29 year old female and I smoked my first cigarette when I was about 11. And smoked on and off for the next couple of years. Nearly everyone smoked around me when I was 13 (mostly all my life), so naturally, when I was a teenager, I wanted to do it too (As most teenagers usually do want to do what they are told they can’t or shouldn’t do.). I became addicted at 13 spending all my lunch money on cigarettes. I continued to smoke for years. I think it was when I was 25, I tried to quit smoking using the patch which only worked for about a month. When I picked up that first cigarette after the patch, I was hooked once again. I have always hated the smell and taste of traditional cigarettes, but was hooked on the nicotine. I carried with me so much perfume, hand sanitizer, gum and mints to cover the smell and taste. So, not only was I paying for cigarettes, but I also had to buy all of this extra stuff to cover the taste and smell. My body also felt the affects of smoking. My heart rate would increase after every cigarette, and sometimes I would get dizzy and feel fatigued. Not to mention, having all of the known deaths and illnesses resulting from smoking traditional cigarettes hanging in my mind with every drag I took. In 2012, I tried my first pack of Blu’s Electronic cigarettes. They worked somewhat, but I was spending about the same amount on those as traditional cigarettes, and found that when I ran out of cartridges and had only $6 to spend, well, I started smoking traditional cigarettes again. The e-vape liquid e-cigarette was introduced to me by my older sister. She had smoked for several years longer than myself. And she hadn’t smoked a traditional cigarette since buying her electronic cigarette. After a couple of months hearing about her and her husband’s success in quitting smoking traditional analog cigarettes, they bought me an electronic cigarette kit for my birthday. And I’m so glad they did. I got my first kit on November 1st, 2013, and was so happy that I didn’t have to go outside to smoke. I was super bummed out when my battery tread was chased after a couple of months of use. I borrowed one of my brother-n-law’s batteries, and quickly purchased two replacements, which I am still currently using. Now days, in the mornings I feel much more well rested. I don’t even have to vape (puff on my electronic cigarette) right away when I wake up whereas with traditional cigarettes, I would scramble to get out the front door to smoke. Plus, that heart rate increase, it doesn’t happen anymore. One of the greatest things for me, is waking up in the morning without tasting cigarettes on my breath. I always hated that. Also, the countless savings I found with electronic cigarettes. I found that I can spend about $40 with the electronic liquid vape system a month whereas I was spending about $180 on traditional cigarettes. Not to mention that the mints, gum and perfumes are a rare buy these days. I’m not rushing to buy more when I run out to cover the dreadful smell and taste of traditional cigarette smoke. Even my non-smoker (never smoked a day in his life) boyfriend says that the vapor smells really good. He is super happy that I have switched from traditional cigarettes to electronic liquid vapor. I will admit that from time to time, I will smoke a traditional cigarette, but that is usually if someone provides a menthol, or I’m just in the mood to reminisce with traditional cigarettes. If able, I will never go back to traditional tobacco cigarettes and will continue to use the liquid vapor electronic cigarette until I lower the nicotine levels and quit entirely. Here’s some food for thought. In December of 2013, after using the vape system for about two months, I went and purchased more juice for my e-cig. I used that juice for about a day and a half. I noticed that it wasn’t hitting my throat the way that nicotine should, so I went back to the E-Cig store. It just so happened to be that I had been vaping a no-nicotine e-juice. So for that entire day and a half, I had no nicotine. I only returned to the E-Cig store because the vapor wasn’t hitting my throat the same as previous vapors. That was the only reason. If nearly any traditional cigarette smoker goes a day and a half without smoking a traditional cigarette and wants one, rest assured, there would be more symptoms (irritability being the main one) presented. Plus, I don’t have to worry about my toddler or my non-smoking mother getting 2nd hand smoke, which is said proven more dangerous than first hand smoke from traditional cigarettes. As far as the different flavors of the liquid(s) (e-juice) appealing to the youth, traditional cigarettes didn’t smell good or taste good and yet there are countless numbers of people who began smoking in their youth (as a teenager). The fact of the matter is that teenagers who want to smoke are going to smoke regardless of if it’s traditional cigarettes or electronic (Just the same as with any substance with a legal restriction). That’s been proven true with traditional cigarettes, alcohol, guns and illegal substances. And yet one of the most harmful, traditional cigarettes, is still being sold. The flavors in my opinion help to negate the endless and insatiable need to smoke traditional cigarettes. The electronic cigarettes are here for people who have a strong desire to quit smoking traditional cigarettes for a number of reasons, may it be used as a smoking cessation device (though it’s not advertised to be as such, that is the choice of the user), or as a safer, better tasting, pleasant smelling, inexpensive or less harmful nicotine alternative. To ban an alternative that has improved the lives of the smoker and that of the non-smoker, is incomprehensible and takes away our right as people, smokers and non-smokers, to choose.