It might be long, but this is what I sent:
To whom it may concern,
My name is Name Name, and I live in Location, Location. As I
understand, FDA is currently investigating so called "electronic
cigarette", and I wanted to share my experience.
I've been a steady smoker for almost 25 years. My recent average was
just above one pack but ranged between one to
three packs of
cigarettes a day. I tried different methods of quitting in the past,
including using FDA approved gum and patch nicotine substitutes, but I
guess I was one of the 95% of smokers that this therapy is not
effective for. I pretty much gave up on the idea, and simply ignored
the problem, hoping that a miracle would happen in the future.
Recent smoking bans extensions that are happening all around the world
made me start looking for the smoking alternative that would not cause
second hand effects and that I would be able to use without causing
harm to the others. In my search, I stumbled upon Electronic
Cigarette. Soon as I bought the starter kit, I noticed that I am not
really using it only in areas where I was concerned about the others,
rather using it all the time. My regular cigarette usage dropped
rapidly, to 0 after only 5 days, and without any commitment, plan or
even idea that this might happen. I discussed my experience with my
peer smoker group and many of them are giving it a try. Most of them
are succeeding. In online discussion, I even got a name for my
experience - "accidental quitter". Doesn't this sound like a miracle,
especially since we're talking about an addiction that is hard to
break with immense commitment even when visible health problems are
present - just try strolling in front of the cancer treatment center
at a local hospital.
I do understand that I am still inhaling nicotine and that it might as
well have some very bad effects on my health, but since I am not
inhaling anything that I wouldn't inhale from regular cigarettes that
are fully available on the market, pure logic suggest that this at
least might be better for my health. Knowing that cigarette smoke
contains dozens of known cancerogens, I have to conclude that this way
of nicotine intake has to be safer then a proven deadly alternative.
Finally, my general health situation improved considerably since I
switched to electronic cigarettes. I can walk up the stairs without
loosing breath, sleep much better, acid reflux disappeared and I
finally got the motivation to start exercising.
Knowing that regular cigarettes are on the market today, and there is
a little chance that they will be banned, if electronic cigarettes are
removed from the market, it will be extremely hard for me not to
switch back. I do understand that studies are needed to prove if
electronic cigarette is effective as NRT, and the fact that "it works
for me and my friends" can't stand scientific review. The general
"safeness" of the electronic cigarette also needs peer reviewed
studies to be establish, and the fact that it helps me doesn't mean a
thing. However, regular cigarettes are proven to be dangerous and
unsafe, but are still on the market.
I would only like to ask that when you consider electronic cigarette,
to compare it with the regular cigarettes, rather than pharmaceutical
grade smoking cessation products, and leave it on the market until
such studies are done. We should use proper child safe containers to
distribute and store components, and allow sale only to adults, which
is what most distributors are doing anyway. Further more, starting
price for electronic cigarettes is much higher than for the regular
tobacco, which makes it quite prohibitive for teens that are likely to
try to circumvent the rules.
Thanks for reading my message, I hope you'll do the right thing and
save me from the cancer sticks.
