Senator Senator <insert last name>,
I'm a concerned constituent. I live in Penfield, NY and I am a vaper. (This is what electronic cigarette users call themselves). I am very worried about Senator Kemp Hannon's proposed Bill S07635 which would essentially condemn me to a slow death from cigarette smoking.
I smoked for 20 years. I was up to a pack or pack and a half per day. Every morning, I woke up feeling like there was an elephant sitting on my chest. I used my Servent inhaler, then my Flovent inhaler, then lit my morning wake up cigarette.
One day I took a few puffs from an e-cig my friend had. I thought it might be worth trying one more thing to get me off the cigarettes. (I've been through the patches, the gum, wellbutrin, chantix, and more). Since it's an inhaled vapor, I asked my Dr. what he thought about using one with my history of bronchitis and asthma. He was ecstatic about my effort and assured me that it would greatly reduce my exposure to the deadly toxins I was inhaling 20-30 times per day.
Today I am 40 lbs lighter. My blood pressure has stabilized (I'm actually now on the low end of normal). My chronic bronchitis is nonexistent. Most impressively, I no longer need my Flovent or Servent. I now take only seasonal allergy medication and carry a rescue inhaler. I have not had an asthma attack since I started using my personal vaporizer. (I prefer not to call it an e-cigarette, because the only thing it has in common with a cigarette is the nicotine).
I have done the research on these things. The "carcinogens" that the FDA found was in a single cartridge out of 18 tested, and not at a toxic level unless a person were to ingest about 12,000 cartridges worth. Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine levels in an e-cigarette total 8, equalling that of the readily available nicotine patch. A single Marlboro cigarette contains 11,190.
Do we know if vaping instead of smoking is 100% safe? No. We need long term 20 year studies. There are 4 ingredients in the liquid I choose to inhale. A Marlboro has over 4,000 chemicals when inhaled. These chemicals include at least 50 known carcinogens. Benzene (fuel), Formaldehyde (embalming fluid), Ammonia (toilet cleaner), Acetone (nail polish remover), Arsenic (rat poison), Hydrogen Cyanide (gas chamber poison), and Carbon Monoxide are definitely far more dangerous than the trace levels of carcinogens found in my nicotine liquid. I'm willing to take my chances. I'm going to listen to my body and my doctor, and my common sense.
Did a man in FL injure himself with an e-cigarette? That's debatable. He wasn't using a commercial e-cigarette. He had modified it and "stacked batteries". Banning e-cigarettes isn't the answer for that scenario. It's up to an individual to read warnings on batteries and devices and use them accordingly. Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to ban stupidity.
It is my sincere hope that you will support my decision for a healthier, longer, and definitely happier life now that I've finally found something that has put traditional cigarettes in my past. Please consider the 250,000 NY vapers that probably have very similar stories. These personal vaporizers are our lifelines. Please allow adults to make the decision to use a reduced-risk alternative to cigarettes. I would fully support Senator Johnson's S02926B which would ban sales to minors as I don't think minors should be exposed to any product containing nicotine. Senator Johnson's bill allows adults to make a far healthier choice. Senator Kemp's bill condemns 250,000 constituents to a long, slow death sentence.
Thank You
