I’m presently 47 years of age. I was around 16 when I took up smoking tobacco on a full-time basis. By the time I reached my early 30s, my tobacco usage was 1 to 1 1/2 packs of full flavor cigarettes per day. I was frequently coughing (mornings were always the worst) and although I maintained (tried to maintain) a physically active lifestyle, my lung capacity was noticeably diminished. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was also developing high blood pressure. In my early 40s, during a routine physical, my doctor expressed his deep concern about how bad my lungs sounded and also made me aware of my blood pressure issue. I resolved to quit smoking, or at least cut back drastically. My doctor wrote prescriptions for Wellbutrin, and Nicotine Patches. This combined with a considerable amount of self-determination, yielded no lasting results in my goal to quit smoking. In July of 2010, I renewed my efforts to quit smoking. I considered using Chantix, but reading up on the potential, horrific side effects dissuaded me from going that route. I decided to try E-Cigarettes, after having heard/read positive reviews on them. I did at least a week of extensive online research before I purchased my first starter kit from an online vendor. (I had been warned to avoid the kits sold in shopping malls, or through membership plans.) When my kit arrived in the mail, I was cautiously optimistic. I figured that if nothing else, maybe this would at least be effective in helping me cut back on my smoking. Much to my amazement, the E-Cigarette worked even better than expected. I experienced very few withdrawal symptoms, aside from feeling the drastic reduction in nicotine. The only problem I encountered was after several days, I experienced some issues with using my E-Cig correctly. I was a little frustrated, so I lit my first cigarette since I’d started using my E-cig. The cigarette tasted horrible; much worse than I would have ever imagined. I began studying some trouble-shooting tips online and quickly found out what I needed to know in order to get my E-Cig functioning properly. Now it’s coming up on 3 years since my last cigarette. The impact this has had on my health is nothing short of phenomenal. My doctor was visibly impressed. My breathing capacity has returned. My lungs are clear. My blood pressure went down to normal ranges, so I don’t have to take medication for that. I’m enjoying the increased stamina that I notice so much when I’m walking/running or biking. With all of that said, as of this testimonial, I am still using an E-cig on a daily basis. Admittedly, I have replaced one habit with another, but the previous one was extremely costly in both a monetary sense and most importantly in the toll it was taking on my health. Another crucial benefit of the E-Cig, is I’ve been able to adjust and slowly reduce my nicotine intake, which even when I began using the E-Cig, which as previously mentioned, was noticeably well below the levels delivered by the cigarettes I was smoking. The bottom line for me is, this is all about harm reduction. I strongly believe, if not for the E-Cigarette, I would still be smoking today.