Jump to full article: UPI, 2009-10-11
Author: HARRIET ROBBINS OST, United Press International
Intro: Bonnie Martin has been a cigarette addict since the age of 12. A former registered nurse, the 49-year-old Vineland, N.J., woman worked with cancer patients and felt hypocritical when instructing them to quit smoking.
Martin tried every product on the market in her attempts to quit -- patches, gums, acupuncture, hypnosis and prescription medications.
Nothing worked until she tried an electronic cigarette. She says because of her e-cig, she has not had a conventional tobacco cigarette since March.
. . .
Martin had her first heart attack four years ago and subsequently has been unable to work. She also was unable to quit smoking.
"My son begged me, 'If you can't quit for yourself, will you quit for me, please?'" she recalled him asking.
She was smoking about two packs a day when she happened upon e-cigs at a Smoking Everywhere mall kiosk.
"They had a little video claiming you could smoke (e-cigs) anywhere, you would not get the 4,000 chemicals that are in combustible cigarettes, that it was a safer and healthier alternative," Martin said.
. . .
FDA spokesman Michael Levy said e-cigs also contain potential carcinogens and a toxic chemical, diethylene glycol.
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