From Chris

Hey Phil,

I’ve been vaping on and off for a few years now, and while I’m having trouble pinning an exact time on it, lets just say its been since everything you needed to vape was online EXCEPT for the fluval and teabags, which were incredible at the time. Anyways, just wanted to say that since I’ve started following the videos by you and others in the community, I’ve managed to not only stick with vaping for longer than I have in the past, but I’ve even made the move up from my ego batteries to purchasing my first VV/VW, and have grown to hate tobacco cigarettes. So my first thanks will go to you as well as the rest of the online vaping community for really helping me through your videos in feeling confident for the first time that I am DONE with traditional cigarettes. I thank you, and as a New Yorker, my wallet thanks you.

On another note, I was watching VPLive (Ep. 93), and you made a comment about asthma medications that increase your risk of an asthma related death. I’m an asthmatic, and I’ve been on the medicine Advair for about 8 years now. As I continued to use this product, I’ve noticed my dosage go up as time passed. Eventually I was taking a double dose of the strongest dose that they make (Dr said I had the lungs of a 70+ year old man at 21 years of age), and I noticed if I missed a dose I would have absolutely terrible asthma attacks. One particularly bad incident left me in the hospital for three days. Since then, I’ve replaced my advair with an alternative medicine, and it has been done wonders for me. I can now go DAYS without medicating with no ill effects. The medicine that I’m speaking of is Marijuana, and I use it nightly prior to bed, not when I have things to do.
Now, I’m not the kind of person that likes to bitch and get in everyone’s ears about the benefits of medicinal marijuana, but there is a reason I bring this up.

I’m a struggling asthmatic whos only legal option to control his illness is a medication that is slowly killing him. There is a product that helps me tremendously, but my government wont allow its useage, regardless of all the positive feedback, thanks to uneducated politicians making public health decisions based on how it effects their wallets.

I am also a former smoker who has embraced the electronic cigarette for my health, and once again, thanks to an uneducated government, find myself in another battle for my health against those who are supposed to be looking out for the peoples best interest.

With all that said, I wanted to thank you for being a voice for one of the two health related battles that I find myself in on a daily basis. Its sad that our government is so inclined to put people like me in the hospital(or early grave) with medications like advair or chantix, rather than listen to people like yourself and the thousands upon thousands of people suggesting healthier alternatives (with supporting research!).

Sorry again for my long email, I know you have a lot to read through this time of year, just wanted to send a quick thanks/rant to you. Political greed is giving me the choice between being either a dead man or a criminal, and I thank you for fighting along side me in one of my battles to fix this.
-Chris
Queens, NY