A SmokeFree Father's Day

 

Alot of my vaping friends know that my father passed away from a tobacco related illness. On Christmas day 1973 he had a heart attack in his sleep while taking a nap on the couch at the young age of 40. I was just a baby so growing up with my mom and two sisters I didn't really know what it was to have a father and quite honestly it didn't affect me as much as it did my siblings that were older and have memories with him. 

What you might not know is that growing up, I remember my mother constantly telling me about the dangers of smoking. She told me my father would lie in the hospital bed after his first heart attack, begging and pleading for a cigarette. Yet at the age of 13 I still tried my first cigarette and to this day I don't remember even why. What I do know is that immediately I became addicted to them. Trust me, in my 23 years of smoking I often thought that every puff I was taking was another step closer to death.. Yet I continued and even with multiple attempts to quit (like most of you) I kept going back ... and lighting up. 

Now understand that the technology back then was no where near as advanced as it is today, heck they were barely getting into open heart surgery. But I often wonder, what would have happened if vaping was around back then. What if this miracle technology was available to substitute the smoking addiction my father had. Would he be around? Would I be celebrating Father's Day with him? Would he be thrilled to be surrounded with his grandchildren? 

Approaching his age at 39 I was lucky enough to discover ecigs and vaping. I truly believe I am 45 now because of them. I had the choice because these products were available and quickly found a wonderful online support to help and guide me thru the transition. And in turn my wife (a frugal day later) made the switch as well. We owe vaping alot. I truly believe we owe our lives to it and I can celebrate Father's Day today with my beautiful daughters.

Vaping is so much bigger than you and me. If you ever question yourselves why do you keep advocating and fighting the answer is simple. You could be saving a friend's father's life. The technology may have not been around in the late 60's but is available now. And we MUST fight to keep it around. The corruption behind those that want to eliminate the greatest public health miracle of the century will be exposed sooner or later. In the meantime it is up to us, the pioneers, to look back 20 years from now and know that we did everything we could to keep these products available to the millions of smokers. 

I celebrate a SmokeFree Father's Day by being thankful for vaping. Can we make sure that other fathers do to? 

Dimi