Some words about my experience. In a nutshell It’s saved my life. I didn’t exactly intend to quit. I wanted to cut down on the habit. When I tried to return just bought packs of cigarettes and then told Just smoke them It angered, and it hurt. The woman who told me Just smoke them watched me grow up as a child and into an adult. This hurt, and that hurt I think looking back is what really propelled me to stop smoking. I was determined to make electronic cigarettes work for me after that. Let’s fast forward to almost 2 years later, smoke free and still vaping. I’m a very healthy person(most of the time) now. I exercise regularly, eat healthy, I think I’m developing an addiction to avocados. I’m a brighter, happier person. All of this is because of electronic cigarettes, because without them I know I would still be smoking and not caring about my health or what I put into my body. It’s hard to care about how you’re taking care of yourself when you know how much damage you’re doing. Now, not smoking It makes sense to care. My problem was I deeply loved to smoke. The options on the market were not about to help me. Perhaps I’ve only switched to a different habit in some eyes, but my body tells me I made the right decision. I feel so much better than I have in years. How easy it is to take for granted the ability to take a deep breath when you are able to every day. I don’t want that ability taken away from me. Keep electronic cigarettes available and without invalid, unwarranted, unqualifying taxes. This is not tobacco, this is not a burning cigarette, this technology has no merit to be treated in the same fashion. ~ This is my actual testimony, on record in Connecticut that I submitted to the state of Connecticut House Of Legislature. Use it, summarize it as you would like to, as it would benefit the cause. An exert from my testimony was also quoted(albeit incorrectly, but quoted nonetheless) in The Hartford Courant. Raised Bill S.B. No.990 AN ACT CONCERNING SMOKING POLICIES AND PROHIBITING SMOKING IN CERTAIN AREAS. Electronic cigarettes are not tobacco cigarettes and should not be treated as such. Please do not let the word cigarette pervert your perception of what electronic cigarettes actually are. I know that CASAA has given you invaluable materials and I urge you to utilize them. I urge you not to treat this technology like smoking, to rush to legislation without justifications, without evidence. It looks like smoking Is simply not good enough. Some hospitals around the country have even started giving electronic cigarettes to their patients who smoke tobacco cigarettes. It is in-offensive enough for others to be able to do this and helps give patients the care they need as it elevates stress as opposed to countless patients who run out of the hospital as quick as they can to light up. The provisions suggested today will deny hospitals this valuable option. I suggest not banning their use in hospitals, but letting hospitals and other medical related fields decide if they want to utilize this option for their patients or not. On a more personal note this technology made my home being smoke free possible. My mother and brother have both stopped smoking thanks to electronic cigarettes. My mother was a former 40 year smoker, I remember her trying everything to quit as a kid. I have been smoke-free over a year and a half. It began as wanting to jog but I couldn’t even run a quarter of a mile. Today I can continuously jog 3 miles and for as long as I’ve been jogging, I’ve been vaping. I know I speak for many when I say I earned my right to no longer smell like an ashtray. This legislation says I should, it says I’m a smoker when I’m not, it has disregard for my health. I don’t want the 2nd hand smoke and neither do other vapers. This legislation says vape my smoke-free electronic cigarette with the smokers. My suggestion is to be more reasonable in allowing certain businesses to address for themselves on their property if they want to deny or allow the use of electronic cigarettes. The problem I see that you may not is almost every time I’ve been to a bar or restaurant that allows me to vape, there’s a smoker telling me how they tried patches, gum, Chantix made them bananas and they’re scribbling electronic cigarette information on a napkin. By using my electronic cigarette in public it does help people, it shows others there’s an alternative. Tanya Jackisch ———