My name is Lisa Branch– I am 48 years old and am now happy to announce I am completely tobacco free. My success in quitting smoking was entirely due to e-cigarettes (commonly known as vaping) as I was able to quit analog cigarettes immediately last year upon first purchasing an eGo vapor unit. I started smoking at age 28 after a stressful life changing event, and smoked for 20 years continuously after that. Despite numerous attempts, I was always unable to quit; nicotine patches, gum, Wellbutrin, cold turkey (in that order) all failed, and miserably at that. Last year, I went on vacation with my non-smoking family, and tried a disposable e-cig product. I liked it, but it just wasn’t enough to get me to entirely switch over. However, when my local cigarette store began carrying a dazzling array of mods and other e-cig devices, I asked to learn more…and thus began a quest for info on this interesting idea. After realizing one day that I absolutely hated the way my hands smelled, and seeing my first wrinkles starting to appear (never mind my high blood pressure) I decided to purchase a real e-cig kit, and just try it. Upon setting the unit up, and trying it out inside my non smoking home (an amazing luxury on it’s own) I was officially a non-smoker, and I’ve not looked back since! My Dr. ran some blood, as well as other tests on me recently, and my blood pressure is normal for the FIRST time in 18 years. I can smell things so clearly now, and have much more energy to walk long distances. The day my Dr. heard I was on the e-cig permanently, he was thrilled, and changed my patient status to non-tobacco user. I somehow knew right then I would never want to smoke cigarettes ever again. On the e-cig, I started vaping at 18mg nicotine, and within 3 weeks was down to just 6mg. As time went on, and I got out of the habit, I began using the unit only at night or while I was on the phone. I now only use the e-cig in times of high stress…and even then it is brief. It still is hard to believe I could quit smoking so easily. I truly believe I owe my health (physically as well as mentally) to the e-cig industry and it’s supporters/consumers, as they guided me out of a dark tobacco hole, and into a bright new future, free of tobacco. I shall remain eternally grateful for this gift! It pains me GREATLY that there are those who are not only against e-cigarettes, but there are ideas proposing to tax them as much as 95%, along with classifying them as a tobacco product. Tobacco? Outrageous. I am not sure what I would do if I didn’t have my vapor unit, but I imagine I’d be right back smoking, paying $11.50 per pack every 2 days, and that thought truly sends shivers down my spine. E-cigs saved my life, I am sure of it, as my biological father died at 62 of lung cancer, as did 7 of my closest relatives. E-cigs have allowed me to actually care about that fact, whereas before e-cigs, I didn’t feel I had a real way to stop, I just HAD to smoke like I needed to breathe…it was that big of an addiction. In closing, I beg others like me to please share their story, and rally against those who are trying to crucify us e-cig users the same as if we were active smokers. People need to understand that e-cig vapor is completely different to cigarette smoke, and has none of the same harmful ingredients. I somehow knew early on there would be a fight from the tobacco industry, as it was nothing short of a miracle that a hard core smoker quit on the spot with the first try of an e-cig. Thanks for hearing my story, and I hope it can help someone else.. Sincerely, and gratefully, Lisa