Hi- In late May of 2009 my daughter phoned me and informed me that she had an unusual gift for me for fathers day. She sent me an early market e-cig kit. We had discussed my desire to quit for a long time, we both knew I probably wouldn’t quit, so she advanced this is a preferable alternative to dying from emphysema. My doctor had already previously informed me that I had COPD. My lung x-rays were not clear. One year later ( summer of 2010) I had another chest x-ray and my lungs were clear. My doctor and the heart specialist involved in my specific health issues both stated that there had been a dramatic improvement. I must admit, I liked e-cigarettes from the start. The initial kit that I was provided with was of a very inferior quality, frustrating and just generally discouraging. This prompted me to research the subject on line and I was amazed at the different types available. This led to the very expensive learning curve that we are all familiar with, especially during the time when so many improvements were being made. I like e-cigs for several reasons: I like the sensation of smoking, and enjoy the specific sensation of a glycerin combustion. It is not so heavy as tobacco smoke, but can certainly be quite dense. I enjoyed the privilege of participating in a largely unregulated free-market system where the consumer dictated who stayed in business, based on their integrity as well as who could get the product out to the consumer the cheapest. Watching the e-cig. evolve from a frustrating, unreliable device to a remarkably sophisticated, consistent product was a blast.