Hi, I am a 50 year old (former) user of cigarettes for 35 years. I started at age 13 when cigarettes were 35 cents a pack. A teenager was free to purchase with little problem then. It was cool and I wanted to feel in. My habit went from 1 to 2 packs a day fairly quick. At first it did not effect my health I remained fairly active. Cigarettes were a friend, for a long time. I graduated from a Respiratory therapy program. I passed the boards and became a Registered Respiratory Therapist. You would think that type of a career would change my smoking habit? The problem was almost 40% of my fellow coworkers smoked. Some definitely did not. They encouraged me to take smoking cessation classes. I did upon completion we were given a 3 month supply of nicotine patches. I was hopeful and felt good about the excellent instruction given me. However the everyday stresses of life took its toll. The patches were shelved and I was back to buying and smoking nearly two cartons of cigarettes every 10 days. My health deteriorated I was scheduled for a hip replacement at age 42. Around that time I was already taking blood pressure medicine for hypertension. It puzzled the doctors why the medicine was not working for me? I was getting worked up for the hip replacement surgery. Which included a routing EKG. The tech doing the reading ripped the result from the machine and said I will be back, with the doctor! They found that I had a previous heart attack. They cancelled the surgery and then I was treated as a unstable heart patient. They also informed me that I needed to take a leave of absence from my Respiratory job that I had for 20 years. Some would say you are a breathing therapist, didn’t you know better? Yes but so many that I worked with smoked, and tobacco is very addictive, and harmful! Two years passed and you would think I would quit smoking? No with all the new stresses it was that much harder. My cardiologist was furious with me! He threatened to drop me as a patient. This was 2008, I had read about a new device that promised to help people stop using tobacco. It was then in its infancy. I researched and bought my first e-cigarette kit. Being a new device it really was not that good. I thought then that maybe I should shelve this idea, then come back? I knew technology would make it better. Meanwhile my doctor’s were fed up with me and the results they would get from my blood work. I kept reading and researching and found that yes the e-cigarettes were being made better and more satisfying. I purchased my second kit, this time with a stronger, and bigger battery. I liked it and I started to cut down on traditional cigarettes, this was about 2010. I kept on hearing about the term sweet spot. I wondered and found out that is the level of satisfaction you reach. That allows you to finally give up traditional cigarettes. On October 9th 2011, I reached that level. I vape on e cigarettes instead of smoking traditional ones. I have made it kind of my hobby. My doctors were immediately impressed. They asked about smoking I said I don’t do it anymore. They were very pleased to say the least. I am still on a lot of medicines but my doctor has decreased a few of them. He says that my blood work although shows a cardiac history it is no longer conclusive with someone who smokes. My house and car smell better. Now when my children’s doctor asks any one smoking at home? I can say not in my house! I was honest with my cardiologist when he asked how did I stop? His response was okay but I want you to stop those also. I definitely agreed, but I take slow steps.I now concentrate improving my health through exercise and eating right. I want to correct my health enough to withstand hip surgery. Maybe I can get back to work and continue working on my retirement. In closing I will say I have taken care of plenty 60 something year old people. That smoked for a long time and they after multiple hospital visits, would unfortunately eventually die. I wondered back then how much money medicare paid because these people smoked? I don’t know a lot about medicare reimbursement. I can only imagine though it was astronomical in cost. According to studies currently done with e-cigarettes that point to either no, or minimal bad effects on the body. I personally feel that with my own experience that this is the break through device, that will save billions of medicare and private insurance cost over the long term. I am just speculating of course. However with the type of success I have personally seen. I agree with my fellow vapers of e-cigarette devices that this is or should be, the future of smoking.