Hi Neasa,

I am a 57-year-old ex 3-pack-a-day heavy smoker for over 30 years. I could barely walk up a set of stairs without being out of breath. Over many years I tried everything to stop smoking nothing ever worked long-term. Both my parents died within 5 days of each other from smoking-related cancer and this still did not stop me smoking.

11 years ago I was introduced to vaping and within a few weeks I stopped my 30-year-plus deadly smoking habit. I have never felt better. ‘Vaping SAVES LIVES’ (as it has saved mine.)

Flavours are very important to people who vape, we want to stay away from the smell and taste of tobacco. Flavours keep people off the cigarettes. ‘ADULTS like Flavours’. I at the moment like dessert flavours: I have rum & raisin, maple syrup & marshmallow & custard, and mint in 3 different devices. I could not vape a tobacco flavour without feeling sick.

When I smoked I suffered very regularly with bronchitis attacks, sinus and upper respiratory infections, shortness of breath and high blood pressure. After 11 years vaping, all my medical issues are gone. I have not had a bronchitis attack, sinus infection or high blood pressure in years.

I think your assertion that people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even people in their late 50s who like different flavours ‘Have bigger problems than vaping’ is a very narrow way of looking at a life-saving product.

Vaping has been around in one form or another for about 20 years. There has been thousands and thousands of systematic scientific research into the possible harms of long-term vaping using the latest techniques and research methods that have found nothing! No harms. No side effects. How much health data is enough?

The lack of proper government regulations and enforcement (as in age limits which have been asked for by the vaping community for years) and standards, has allowed for UNREGULATED, UNSAFE vaping devices to be sold in so many different kinds of shops. Imagine what would have happened if things had been regulated properly from the start.

As someone who supports vaping to help other people who like me could not give up smoking despite it slowly killing me, I would love to have a chance to tell my story and the somewhat positive side of vaping which we seem to be missing in all these debates.

Thank you for your time and my contact details are below in case you would like to reach out to talk to me about this issue.

Ken