More and more people are using e-cigarettes in Johnstown, Pa and that led to wjactv.comtaking a closer look at the product. But would it be the usual scare-mongering article orwould they listen to people who have benefited from using them?The article quoted figures from the CDC that claim one in five U.S. adults who smoke havetried e-cigarettes as either a substitute to regular cigarettes or as a method for giving upsmoking. That must be bad news for their Director Tom Frieden who’s allergic to sayinganything positive about e-cigarettes.The article got off to a promising start as they quoted the American Lung Association whorevealed that those crazy enough to use tobacco cigarettes are exposing themselves to over7,000 chemicals including 69 known cancer-causing products. Those sensibly turning to e-cigarettes will be heartened by figures from the American Heart Association declaring that e-cigarettes contain a small fraction of those ingredients.They then interviewed Holly Loupe, who owns Vape Vibe in Johnstown and Altoona.Listening to those who are actually in the industry really helps to discover the truth about e-cigarettes. Holly has plenty of tales to tell of customers who have used e-cigarettes to getoff the demon tobacco. That includes Adam Varner who developed a serious health problemafter many years of using tobacco cigarettes. He said: “I had leuokplakia really bad on thisside of my mouth, which is the whitening of the gums from chewing.” That’s normally aprecancerous sign but since turning to e-cigarettes it has dissipated completely and hisdentist is delighted that he is “at least reducing harm done.”That’s a great story and something health bodies and politicians should take notice of.They’ll just say that it’s an anecdote but actually it’s just the truth and an example of thegood that e-cigarettes are doing across the States.It wasn’t long though until the article started looking at the negative views about e-cigarettes.They quoted the American Heart Association and their concern over flavored e-liquids. Cuethe accusations that using flavors such as chocolate, fruit and mint is simply there to attractyoungsters. “There is a great concern that e-cigarettes might be a gateway to traditionalcigarettes and that would be very dangerous for the teens,” said Dr. Jeanne Spencer,Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.Holly Loupe quickly defended the use of different flavors explaining: “It has to be appealingfor somebody to keep using it. If it tastes bad, would you use it?”The way e-cigarettes can help tobacco users is further exemplified by Jim Capps. Hewanted to give up smoking but wanted “some kind of social smoking interaction but withoutgetting back into smoking cigarettes.” He started using e-cigarettes and hasn’t looked backsince. But how can e-cigarettes help?Curtis Turner has gone through the same experience and says that e-cigarettes can be moreeffective than FDA-approved cessation methods and explains why: “A lot of it for me and alot of reason that the NRTs, the prescribed medication from my doctors, didn’t work for me.They didn’t fill the creature of habit. The sort of hand to mouth. We all sort of hate to admitthat we have a hand to mouth issue.”That’s a key way that e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking. Nicotine patches may helpsome people but they can’t substitute for that hand to mouth issue. The former smoker is soused to holding a cigarette in their hands and then putting it in their mouth; they long to getback to it. Using e-cigarettes provides that for them but without all the deadly chemicals.Those who still don’t believe e-cigarettes can help people smoking should listen to HollyLoupe. She says: “I’m going to go by my clientele that have been coming here since dayone. They’ve cried, we’ve hugged, they’ve quit smoking and are living better lives.”To those who criticize the ingredients of e-cigarettes she says: “There are no definitivestudies at this point in time saying this is bad in electronic cigarettes and it’s absolutely goingto cause you cancer. There’s nothing.”Hopefully more and more people will listen to the views of people like Holly, Adam andCurtis. Then they might work out just how much e-cigarettes are helping people.