I was a smoker for 15 years and had tried a variety of methods to quit. The most successful was a prescribed nicotine inhaler that allowed me to quit for about 2 weeks, before returning to smoking. I tried the patch, the gums, and even Wellbutrin. I refused to try Chantix since it seemed to really mess with peoples’ minds (I believe suicidal tendencies is actually listed as a potential side effect – no thanks). The aspect of quitting smoking that non-smokers have trouble coming to grips with is that there is a habit involved that can only be replicated by smoking. If someone is looking to cut down on caffeine, it doesn’t mean that they can’t *drink* anything, just that they have to choose lower caffeine alternatives. With smoking, there isn’t a real substitute … until now. I first noticed electronic cigarrettes at a kiosk at a mall. I saw the salesman smoking inside and thought I’d check it out. About a year later I finally made the jump and ordered a starter kit with batteries, cartomizers, and juice that were similar to regular tobacco cigarrettes. I made it through that first day without much anxiety at all. After a couple of weeks, I placed an order for more supplies and never looked back. It’s been 11 months now that I’ve been tobacco free. My senses of smell and taste were immediately restored. A few months later it was spring and I was running around with my kids without any coughing or shortness of breath. Also, since I can run into the garage and take a couple of quick puffs on the vaporizer, there’s more uninterrupted time to spend (I never smoked inside or around the kids, so no more smoke breaks getting in the way of a good time). Over time I’ve branched out to a variety of different juice flavors, such as fruit, confections, and soda. There’s a seemingly never ending variety of juices and vendors to choose from. There’s a very supportive community out there as well, offering opinions, reviews, and advice. I’ve been gradually cutting back on nicotine levels, but at this point it’s not an urgent concern – getting tobacco out of my life is paramount anything else.