I look at it and know its longer than it should be, but when I try to edit it, it just gets longer, so I give up.
Gentlemen:
This letter is regarding e-cigarettes, a.k.a. personal vaporizers.
Im a 54 year old who has chain smoked for nearly 40 years and desperately wants a chance to live another 20 or 30 years. I tried quitting with hypnosis, and have a 2 year supply of nicotrol in my basement along with a few drawers stuffed with patches, gum, lozenges and Wellbutrin. With all this the best I was able to do was to delay my first cigarette of the morning for an hour or so, and a single 24 hour quit a few years ago.
Im not alone in my failure; far from it. Even with pharmaceuticals and support, the success rate for quitting remains very low. According to Switzerlands Institute of Social and Preventive Medicines analysis of 12 studies, the long term success rate with approved NRT is merely 7%. Other studies reach similar conclusions.
I had considered personal vaporizers for more than a year before I finally took the plunge last month. After decades of seeing myself as a hopeless smoker bound to die young, things turned around almost instantly suddenly I had hope that I just might have many years in my future. From the first day I found I can stay away from cigarettes with this alternative. Yes, I am still inhaling some nicotine, but none of the other questionable chemicals, no tar and no other byproducts of combustion. There is also nothing to pollute the air or offend nonsmokers. Even my nicotine intake will be temporary even as a former 3 pack a day smoker, I am already using low nicotine and zero nicotine in my vaporizer.
This is a concept that can work! Would it be best if we all simply quit? Of course. But clearly were not all capable of it. In spite of all the efforts to date, millions still smoke cigarettes.
History has proven time and again that prohibition does not work. It didnt stop alcohol consumption or drug use. Surely you cant believe it will stop the use of e-cigarettes by people determined to save their own lives. Wouldnt it be wiser to allow it, study it, and set safety and marketing standards as data is collected?
A complete ban simply isnt justified. Cigarettes are known to cause damage and death, but are legal and readily available. E-cigarettes do contain nicotine (although its optional and some choose to avoid it), but have no tar or a multitude of carcinogenic agents. The propylene glycol and or glycerin used to create vapor are also used in cigarettes as well as many consumer products with FDA approval and MSDS data available. I fail to see what could possibly indicate that this product must be immediately removed from the market at the potential cost of many lives. A decision to evaluate e-cigarettes and marketing techniques, as well as perhaps set regulations (i.e. childproof containers for liquid containing nicotine, minimum age requirements, restrictions on the language used in claims, advertisements and packaging, etc.) would certainly be reasonable. Complete removal of this product is not.
The simple fact and in spite of official studies not having been done yet, it is a fact - is that these vaporizers are proving to be a successful alternative for many smokers who have been unable to quit by any other means. Making them unavailable will send people back to cigarettes. Theres no question that when my supply is gone I will, with immense regret, return to smoking. Others are already finding themselves in that position as supplies are stopped at borders. So tell me, what is your goal? Ive always thought it was to save lives. Even at this point in time, before studies and clinical trials are performed, it clearly is highly likely that these vaporizers will turn out to be far safer than cigarettes. Therefore, if the government and FDAs interest is to save lives, it is wrong to deny us a chance to save ourselves.
...... addicts are allowed methadone for years cigarettes remain legal gun ownership with all the associated risks and periodic accidents is legal drugs with known risks are prescribed like candy for an assortment of problems too long to list but smokers are pariahs forced to live under a mandate of Quit or die. Technology has given us an option that many of us are embracing when all other options have failed, yet your choice is to snatch it away.
Denying me and others like me of this chance to set cigarettes aside is hypocritical and reprehensible. Many smokers will die without this readily available alternative.
Please reconsider we are entitled to this chance to help ourselves. We should have the right to choose to stop using a product known to kill, and substitute one that eliminates most of the harmful aspects. A harm reduction approach is long overdue, since the inevitable result of the Quit or Die principle has been, and will continue to be many people needlessly dying.
Gentlemen:
This letter is regarding e-cigarettes, a.k.a. personal vaporizers.
Im a 54 year old who has chain smoked for nearly 40 years and desperately wants a chance to live another 20 or 30 years. I tried quitting with hypnosis, and have a 2 year supply of nicotrol in my basement along with a few drawers stuffed with patches, gum, lozenges and Wellbutrin. With all this the best I was able to do was to delay my first cigarette of the morning for an hour or so, and a single 24 hour quit a few years ago.
Im not alone in my failure; far from it. Even with pharmaceuticals and support, the success rate for quitting remains very low. According to Switzerlands Institute of Social and Preventive Medicines analysis of 12 studies, the long term success rate with approved NRT is merely 7%. Other studies reach similar conclusions.
I had considered personal vaporizers for more than a year before I finally took the plunge last month. After decades of seeing myself as a hopeless smoker bound to die young, things turned around almost instantly suddenly I had hope that I just might have many years in my future. From the first day I found I can stay away from cigarettes with this alternative. Yes, I am still inhaling some nicotine, but none of the other questionable chemicals, no tar and no other byproducts of combustion. There is also nothing to pollute the air or offend nonsmokers. Even my nicotine intake will be temporary even as a former 3 pack a day smoker, I am already using low nicotine and zero nicotine in my vaporizer.
This is a concept that can work! Would it be best if we all simply quit? Of course. But clearly were not all capable of it. In spite of all the efforts to date, millions still smoke cigarettes.
History has proven time and again that prohibition does not work. It didnt stop alcohol consumption or drug use. Surely you cant believe it will stop the use of e-cigarettes by people determined to save their own lives. Wouldnt it be wiser to allow it, study it, and set safety and marketing standards as data is collected?
A complete ban simply isnt justified. Cigarettes are known to cause damage and death, but are legal and readily available. E-cigarettes do contain nicotine (although its optional and some choose to avoid it), but have no tar or a multitude of carcinogenic agents. The propylene glycol and or glycerin used to create vapor are also used in cigarettes as well as many consumer products with FDA approval and MSDS data available. I fail to see what could possibly indicate that this product must be immediately removed from the market at the potential cost of many lives. A decision to evaluate e-cigarettes and marketing techniques, as well as perhaps set regulations (i.e. childproof containers for liquid containing nicotine, minimum age requirements, restrictions on the language used in claims, advertisements and packaging, etc.) would certainly be reasonable. Complete removal of this product is not.
The simple fact and in spite of official studies not having been done yet, it is a fact - is that these vaporizers are proving to be a successful alternative for many smokers who have been unable to quit by any other means. Making them unavailable will send people back to cigarettes. Theres no question that when my supply is gone I will, with immense regret, return to smoking. Others are already finding themselves in that position as supplies are stopped at borders. So tell me, what is your goal? Ive always thought it was to save lives. Even at this point in time, before studies and clinical trials are performed, it clearly is highly likely that these vaporizers will turn out to be far safer than cigarettes. Therefore, if the government and FDAs interest is to save lives, it is wrong to deny us a chance to save ourselves.
...... addicts are allowed methadone for years cigarettes remain legal gun ownership with all the associated risks and periodic accidents is legal drugs with known risks are prescribed like candy for an assortment of problems too long to list but smokers are pariahs forced to live under a mandate of Quit or die. Technology has given us an option that many of us are embracing when all other options have failed, yet your choice is to snatch it away.
Denying me and others like me of this chance to set cigarettes aside is hypocritical and reprehensible. Many smokers will die without this readily available alternative.
Please reconsider we are entitled to this chance to help ourselves. We should have the right to choose to stop using a product known to kill, and substitute one that eliminates most of the harmful aspects. A harm reduction approach is long overdue, since the inevitable result of the Quit or Die principle has been, and will continue to be many people needlessly dying.
