2016 is set to be a big year for Monstermove Removals. With new protocols and plans already taking form. One of the things that we have set out to do is improve our removals work-force. We already have an excellent team but we’re always looking for ways of improving.

The Problem

One of the areas that we have looked at is the fact that most of our house removals team smoke. As we all know, smoking cigarettes has lots of negative effects on the body but it also carries other undesirable traits such as the smell. It is also a pain for the non-smoking members of our crew too because even though smoking is not permitted in our vehicles, there’s nothing like the pungent smell of two removal men who have just satisfied their need for nicotine getting into the van to make the air stale!

Our job is also very physical, it is a hard job on the body, there is no question about it. Carrying awkward and often heavy items, in and out of the vehicles, up and down stairs does require a certain amount of fitness. Any advantage at all that you have is a blessing and we all know that smoking clogs arteries, makes the heart and lungs work harder at a less efficient pace.

I stopped smoking cigarettes in 2014 but I remember very well how much I enjoyed that cigarette between jobs; it was my little reward for the work I had just carried out and was very important. This applies to the smoking members of our team! With this in mind, it is difficult to expect, or even ask them to consider quitting smoking, even if it’s just whilst they’re at work.

The Resolution

We have chosen to combat the smoking issue with E-Cigarettes. E-Cigarettes, or E-Cigs are an electric alternative to traditional cigarettes. They are less harmful, and a lot less smelly! They work by heating up an oil like liquid which contains flavour and nicotine into a vapour which is inhaled. Because the liquid contains Nicotine, it passifies the was-smoker’s craving without the need to exit the van and light up a traditional cigarette.

We set this up as a scheme where the company purchased the devices and the staff then pay back the cost of the E-Cigarette in small payments each pay-day. The scheme has been a big success so far and I personally can see a difference when the teams return to base on an evening, instead of smelling like an ash tray, they smell of sweet custard and fruit e-liquid as they happily vape away as they relax after work!

Some advice to people who are considering making the transition to E-Cigs

This is only my two pence worth, I am certainly not offering up this information as a sure-fire way to quit. This method is what worked for me, I have recommended it to my staff and will also recommend it to our readers.

The first problem to deal with is breaking the link that your mind has with stinky cigarettes! If you’re anything like me, I didn’t really enjoy the taste of tobacco, the smell certainly didn’t bring me any enjoyment and in the latter years of my smoking life, having to smoke outside in all weathers was just down-right inconvenient! But still, I had to satisfy my addiction! It was a fundamental part of my day. Breaking that habit was easier than I thought. Here’s how I did it..

You can buy E-Liquid at various Nicotine strengths. From the very weak, to the really quite strong. In fact, far stronger than your average cigarette! I went high, 24mg of Nicotine. I remember after having my first few vapes feeling quite dizzy. This was increasing my need for Nicotine, getting me hooked on Nicotine to an extreme that cigarettes simply can’t offer. But that sounds counter-productive I hear you say! I would disagree, given that my aim was to break the link between my need for Nicotine and traditional cigarettes. As a result, I did get hooked on a high dose of Nicotine. Cigarettes, well they did nothing for me at all. In fact, I remember one night going out for a drink with the Mrs and thinking that I wasn’t going to kid myself into thinking an E-cig would passify a drunken Mark. So I bought a 20 spot and went out for a drink to Nu-Bar in Willerby. The funny thing was that they didn’t work. I got half way through my first cigarette and couldn’t bare it. I was used to sweet Strawberry flavours and beautiful Vanilla custard, not this repulsive taste of dried tobacco leaves. It didn’t help that I was sat outside, on my own in the middle of Winter either. Later on in the night, I’d had a good few cocktails and had the smart idea to go and try again. I literally had one or two draws on the cigarette and someone asked me for a light and I just gave them the cigarette I was smoking. Sod that I thought, and I went inside and got my E-cig out! That was it! I had done it. Not only did I not need a cigarette to go about my day-to-day business but I couldn’t stand cigarettes after a skin-ful. It had worked! During the course of the next six months, I gradually weened myself off Nicotine. Every month I would buy my batch of E-liquid at a lower strength and now, although I do still have an element of Nicotine in my E-cig, it is neglegeable. And the thought of smoking, or the smell of smoke on someone else turns me right off. I can’t even imagine smoking, or believe that I once did.

E-Liquid, E-Juice, Avid VapersIf you are thinking of going down the vaping path them I would highly recommend that you go see our friends over at Avid Vapers. They have the knowledge to get you started and guide you through all of the options available to get you onto a better, more healthy path. Not to mention the savings. I have just quickly calculated my savings in 14 months of being a non-smoker and it’s almost £4000. And I’ll be honest, I did notice the extra cash. Smoking cigarettes is like having a hole in your pocket. Your income is being drained away, one puff at a time!