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10th February 2017
11:12am GMT
Smoking is a habit that many Irish people try to quit every year. However, many fail as the cravings reel them back in.
We've teamed up with VIP E-cigarettes to follow the story of two could-be quitters, as they use an e-cigarette for one month and see how they fair in the battle of the cravings.
If you missed the first instalment, catch up here.
A month on, here's the verdict...
"Four weeks on the VIP e-cig and I haven't had a cigarette since the start of January.
At the start, it was tough getting used to the ecig. It took a week or so to get into a pattern of using it properly. At the start, I was on a liquid containing 16mgs of nicotine. It was very similar to smoking Marlboro Lights, which I used to smoke, but since then I have moved down to 8mgs - which I find great!
VIP offers many great flavours, which I found helpful as it stopped me getting bored. I try maybe two or three a week.
If I could give people any tips about using the VIP e-cig, I would suggest bringing the charger with you at all times. Although the battery is very good, you don't want it to run out on a night out as that's when the cravings can start. Also, have a bottle of liquid with you for the same reason!
I can see myself now going a day or two without actually using the e-cig at all. As I used to smoke a few a day and up to a pack over the course of a week, I see this as a massive improvement. I would suggest that any social smokers who wants to quit should give the VIP e-cigarette a try."
"As someone who had been planning to give up smoking for quite some time, I was intrigued by kind of lifestyle changes the VIP e-cig could offer me.
I originally feared that using the product would be a lot of hassle and it would be easier to just buy a packet of cigarettes, rather than mess around with different liquids and flavours.
I was proved wrong during the first few days as I got to grips with my new endeavour. I felt that using it was a perfectly easy and enjoyable replacement and those around me felt the same and were glad to be rid of the stale smell of smoke that usually followed me around. More importantly, they were happy to see me take steps to improve my health.
Normally, I would smoke about 10 cigarettes a day but this would be vastly increased when on a night out with friends. This is what I felt my biggest challenge would be but thankfully, I passed the test with flying colours.
Having the e-cig allowed me to join my friends on their smoking breaks and not feel like I was the odd one out, which I had feared. It also proved to be quite a conversation starter and a number of friends have expressed interest in following in my vaping footsteps.
During the past month, I have felt healthier, enjoyed greater freedom and my wallet has even been given quite a boost. The VIP ecig has changed my way of life for the better and I would recommend using it to anyone who hopes to quit smoking."
