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"Based on the advice of an expert working group"

I am curious who exactly is within this working group? Does anyone from ECITA have a chair at the table I wonder?

Normally the buzzword is 'Stakeholder'

A stakeholder is anybody who can affect or is affected by an organisation. I consider everyone here as a stakeholder. Now as much as I'm sure we would all like to pull up a chair at such a meeting, the practicalities of such make it impossible. So a single representative of all vapers should be present, in this instance doodlebug.

If we have no representation by the vaping community present, then logic dictates that the outcome and recommendations by the so called "Working Group" is biased and flawed?

This is now a legal question. Could such rules that would ultimately be written into law as a result of what would ultimately be a closed door meeting be legally challenged?

Hmmm. I always thought we lived in a democracy where the people decide.

Well, just a little update for you....

Really did shit myself when the black tar turned to red blood. Got myself to Doctors who said that this was not uncommon! A little relief there and looking back through previous results he wasn't too concerned. However he did pick up that I have quite a nasty chest infection so have some strong anti-biotics. To be on the safe side he also sent me for another chest x-ray, which I should have the results in about 10 days.

The Anti-biotics appear to be doing the trick and the black tar like substance (and other gunk) has subsided, but whilst Googling, I did bump into this:

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1226461/Why-ALL-smokers-test---theyre-brave-enough.html

Although from 2009, it does appear to indicate that the tar residues can hang around for a very long time.

Now if someone could just invent a micro dyson for your lungs

Well, other half was distracted by the dog trying to jump up and nick her pasty! Phew, that was close.

Sorry if I seem a little...Blase, I apply humour when troubled. (which in the last 12 months have been 'troubled' by many unrelated issues, but not getting too maudling - yet

OK I'm not too worried at the moment because I am on a course of very expensive anti TNF drugs to combat advanced arthiritis. Due to the cost of these I had to jump through many medical hoops to a) prove it was bad enough and b) prove that I was otherwise medically fit. For the latter I had a chest xray last November which at first showed 'potential issues' so pre-Christmas, waiting for the appointment I had already resigned myself to the probability I had Lung Cancer. Luckily I didnt have to wait too long for my follow up appointment and after more X-rays, they discovered the area of concern had cleared up and showed no signs of any issues and put it down to a heavy cold that I had recently had. Effectively giving me the all clear.

Me and the missus sat in the hospital car park and started to cry and hug each other and its at moments like that which makes you stop and think. I mean really stop and think. After losing my dear Dad when I was 17 due to a smoking related disease, I had already been smoking since I was 14 and had decided at the time that I didn't need cigarettes any more and tried to stop. I then discovered WHY my Dad could not stop until his dying day. Like him, I was hooked. Addicted to a consumer product that I could NOT live without. Pathetic I know but as I hate self failure I found myself rising to all the other life's challenges with an over-compensated need to succeed.

Subsequently, I got my head down, got on with life, got in to Engineering and a senior manager's role which I'm doing quite well at. Im an Engineering Projects Manager, a problem solver and its extremely rare that I outwardly bask or brag, but deep down, I know I'm good at what I do. However there has always been, in the background, that crutch to get me through the day. Since my Dad died, I have hated cigarettes with a passion. Have spent a small personal fortune over the years trying to give up with traditional NRT products (this was even before the NHS decided to free issue them). Even hypnotherapy lasted a mere 8 hours and at £90, worked out at nearly £12 per hour. I even recall going to bed one night with 6 (yes 6) patches stuck to me. Nothing worked. The more I tried and failed the more I would get frustrated, and the more I would smoke. Every other problem in my personal life or work life had a solution. I always find the solution so why couldn't I solve this one!

Sigh...... I had effectively resigned myself to the same fate my Father had.

Back to the Hospital car-park and despite the fact that I realised my little girl was about to turn 17, I had an epiphany. Just like that scene where Luke Skywalker is about to take his Fathers place at the Emporer's side and he realised that he had to stop the inevitable. (sorry, humour again)

So you know what I did.....

I lit a f#*king fag!!!!!

Sorry for the long and depressive story. I suppose it helps me to get it off my chest (pun intended!)

For me, the day it all changed was the 5th February 2013 at 06:40..... I lit my last cigarette. Having tried my first e-lite the night before and thinking about it - even when I should have been sleeping - I had decided to leave my 'crutch' at home and just take my little e-lite. I have not had an analogue since.

I accept that I have NOT beaten my addiction to nicotine and short of being stranded on a dessert island, I never will. I do however have the option of choosing a safer delivery method.

I am sure that you can all appreciate that I have a deep seated loathing of tobacco companies and in light of what these companies / pharma / EU want to do with MY SAFER SOLUTION. I will be doing all that I can to rattle some cages and putting my story across, in an articulated way, in every possible forum, to ensure that me, you and everyone who has a story to tell gets the message across. But in the meantime, I have a bit of making up to do with my lungs.

Thanks for reading

My very best.

Well I got me 6 monthly Asthma check-up in 2 weeks so will mention it then.

I did cough up a little black stuff after about 2-3 weeks but nothing since

I will ask her opinion on vaping / e-cigs.

I will the give her mine.

Will be interesting to see if the two match

Quite gruesome, but I had noticed when I got up the other morning that my lips were stuck together. When I got to the bathroom mirror, my lips were BLACK. 

F*#k me! I thought, I'm turning into a zombie. Opening my mouth revealed that the whole of the inside was coated with, what I assume to be black sticky tar. After first shitting myself, (do zombies do that?) I calmed down, spent 10 minutes scrubbing flushing & cleaning and realised that my lungs must be clearing themselves. Its happened 3 mornings on the trot now.

Didn't expect that to be honest.

Anyone else had this?

OR, if not does anyone happen have a copy of "How to speak Zombie: A guide for the living" by Steve Mockus, as my OH has trouble understanding my first words of the day when I am 'normal' as it is?

Hi Andy, welcome to a very warm and friendly group. Ive only been vaping 6 weeks and I got switched by the E-lite. Spent about £70 just on e-lite paraphernalia in the first week, then found this forum. 6 weeks on I have 3 riva's set up which is my work kit and just took delivery of my first mod (Vamo). A little too big to slip in your shirt pocket, but BOY DOES IT VAPE!

I would advise dont buy too much juice (like I did) as after about 2 weeks, my taste buds started to change and I started to go off some of the baccy flavours and went for more of the sweet ones.

The Riva 1100 kit is superb, but, if you can afford it would also add a couple of rebuildable clearomisers, & wicks and a spare 5 pack of empty cartomisers until you find which ones you prefer. I still use both as it allows me to have many flavours on the go at the same time. I think this is quite important as some flavours are quite nice at the start of the day but by tea-time, tastes naff.

The general mantra that everyone repeats here are "Back-up to you back-up" and "keep your wick wet", Don't worry, the latter one is not me making a pass, but will make sense in a few weeks time!

Just remember, there is LOADS of knowledgeable friendly people here and no question is a stupid one.

My best