Thread by @KimmySmithTHR

Thread.
My Open Letter to those who are in favor of banning flavored nicotine vapor products.
I started smoking at the age of 14. I come from a family of smokers. I’ve lost many of my family members to cancer and other smoking related illnesses. No one saved me or my family...

No one saved me or my family from tobacco. Public health didn’t save us, the government didn’t save us, not even the schools. I spent years trying to quit smoking. I tried the patches, gums, losanges, sprays, and even talked to my Dr. about medications None of it worked!

I smoked for over 15 years, all while watching my family die and all while my health continued to worsen. I gave up! I thought for sure that I was never going to be able to break the chains of my addiction. I was going to die from smoking and I had accepted it. You see my desire

For Nicotine was so strong that I couldn’t see any other way. Nicotine was therapeutic for me. I suffer from debilitating anxiety and nicotine always seemed to take the edge off. It would calm me during a panic attack. It felt less dangerous than picking up alcohol

or other more illicit illegal substances. But somewhere in the back of my head I hadn’t completely given up hope. At 31, I discovered e-cigs. I popped into a local gas station and sitting next to the cigarettes was a small device that claimed to be like a cigarette but without

the deadly smoke and tar. From that day forward I had a renewed hope that I could quit smoking! That first device was tobacco flavored, and I dual used until I tried my first non tobacco flavor. It was a fruit flavor and it was amazing! I had finally broken the chain..

That fruity flavored vape was exactly what I needed to completely disassociate from combustible tobacco!
I no longer struggled, I no longer felt a need to smoke cigarettes. I actually found the taste of them repulsive!

It’s important to note that I started out vaping a high level of nicotine. 24mg/mL to be exact. That was really important in the beginning. As time went by the local vape shop where I purchased my eliquid from helped me step down my nicotine lvl. They did a wonderful job helping

and they also encouraged and educated those who wanted to be nicotine free on how to do it without relapse. Best smoking cessation that I’ve ever experienced! Even though our govt won’t allow them to say that.
So today I am 36 years old, I’ve been smoke free for almost 5 years.

I still vape, my doctors all say that my health has drastically improved. I have the medical tests to prove it. My lungs are healthier, my blood pressure is improved (I used to have hypertension when I smoked) I now have a fighting chance to NOT die of smoking related illness

Sure my testimony is anecdotal but it’s echoed by millions of other testimonies just like mine. You see, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) aren’t for everyone, they aren’t for non smokers, they aren’t for kids, and they aren’t even for every single smoker out there.

ENDS are for all the smokers out there that never thought that there could be an end to their smoking. It is a technology created by consumers who thought they couldn’t be saved!
Please don’t fail us again, please don’t ban this life saving technology.

Please dont shut down these life saving businesses.
@GovRaimondo @GovWhitmer @NYGovCuomo @GovMikeDeWine @CharlieBakerMA @GovMurphy
@GovPritzker
@GovInslee
@SecAzar
@realDonaldTrump
@POTUS
@JeromeAdamsMD @US_FDA
@FDATobacco
@CDCDirector @FDACommissioner @CDCgov
@Surgeon_General