Smoked since I was a young teenager. I’ve tried other cessation products in the past including gum and lozenges, without any real effect. Nicotine just has it’s hands on me and it is quite difficult to completely break free for any long period of time from that addictive substance. I hated myself for smoking analogue (real, light on fire) cigarettes. I knew that with each one I was substantially destroying my health and shortening my life — yet I enjoyed the release that I got from the addictive chemical. But I hated how it smelled and how all the other stuff in cigarettes made me feel. I’ve learned to be somewhat dependent on nicotine — not unlike my dependence to caffeine (which many people share and to which they can relate). So finding an alternative that not only allowed me to continue to imbibe nicotine, but allowed me to do so much more safely and give me back my good health, was completely gratifying. It feels like I’ve finally found a way not to hate myself while indulging in this otherwise innocuous addiction. E-cigarettes have allowed me to do that. I can once again live my life without that dark cloud over myself of shame and self-loathing. I can kiss my wife again (who is a non-smoker) without feeling like I’m some putrid object that repulses her. Because of the wide array of devices and e-juices out there, I can actually enjoy vaping — the taste, the texture, the aroma. And I can do it without spending an arm and a leg, with health benefits to boot! In fact, after some initial gear purchases, I can actually vape and fulfill my nicotine addiction for less than 10% of what I spending annually on analogue cigarettes. Less than 5% if I make my own e-juice. What if I decide to end my addiction to nicotine? Without vaping, what is my recourse with analogue cigarettes? Try, fail, rinse, lather, repeat? Vaping gives me the ability to control my nicotine intake with minute detail. I could even continue to enjoy vaping after having removed all nicotine from my juice! No more guilt of going out with friends and lighting up and feeling like a failure! Vaping gives me this freedom to enjoy the aspects of smoking that I truly enjoyed, and throw away all the aspects that I did not. Why take this freedom away?