There is no denying that the past year has been a trying one, with the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic reaching far and wide. Driving stress levels through the roof as we attempt to juggle working from home with home schooling, and all without the chance of a luxury break abroad, a record number of people have found themselves falling into bad habits, with four in five people admitting they have either returned to a past vice, or acquired a new one.
From drinking too much wine and sleeping in later, to overeating, the first lockdown, it seems, was the hardest on us, with 81 per cent of those polled by YouGov at the end of May last year affected. And perhaps more worryingly, only 31 per cent of those had plans to shake off their bad habits once lockdown lifted – which, given the turn of events since, is understandable.
But with the UK’s roadmap to freedom now unveiled and a return to normality now finally on the horizon, if ever there was a good time to take back control, then this is it, and luxury e-cigarette brand SMOKO has reported a spike in custom over recent weeks as an increasing number of people look to swap their traditional cigarettes for an alternative and begin the journey towards going smoke free.
An independent company run by husband and wife team, Mike Cameron and Daisy Hicks, SMOKO had already been enjoying growing popularity in recent years as more and more people look to make the transition to a healthier lifestyle. And as a former smoker himself, Mike knows exactly what is needed from an e-cigarette to make the journey a little easier.
“Being an ex-smoker myself, I know how hard it is to quit! Finding an alternative that looks and feels like the real thing can help make the process easier, and is the reason we have tried to make simple and easy to use e-cigarettes that will appeal to a wide range of people,” he says.
Smoking in the UK has been on the decline in recent years, with just 14.1 percent – or 6.9 million individuals – indulging regularly. While it might seem like a lot, a quick glance back to the year 2000 is enough to see how far we’ve come, when smoking remained legal within bars and restaurants and numbers were upwards of 27 per cent.
It’s thought that this is largely down to the introduction of e-cigarettes such as SMOKO’s, which came at just the right time. As smoking became more inconvenient, the desire to quit began to grow – and e-cigarettes became a helpful alternative that didn’t require kicking the physical habit of smoking entirely.
Cigarettes are known for being expensive – and switching to an e-cigarette could save a pack-a-day smoker over £3k a year. SMOKO is up to 80 per cent cheaper than cigarettes, and let’s be honest – £3k is money far better spent on that next luxury holiday.
But more importantly than the cost – particularly if you’re wealthy enough not to be bothered by such a thing – are the benefits of stopping smoking traditional cigarettes and cigars. Cigarettes don’t just contain nicotine, but tar, too – which has been shown to be immensely damaging to the lungs and is one of the leading risk factors for lung cancer.
Since launching nine years ago, Mike says proudly, SMOKO has prevented over 275,000,000 cigarettes from being smoked, which is no small feat, but is smoking an e-cigarette any better?
Well, in a word – yes. There has been a lot of confusion about whether e-cigarettes are any better than cigarettes – with over 51 per cent of UK smokers believing that e-cigarettes are more harmful than normal cigarettes. But according to a study conducted by Public Health England, e-cigarettes are at least 95 percent less harmful.
Giving up smoking entirely is of course the ultimate aim, but one that many smokers find hard without a stepping stone, and SMOKO prides itself on providing exactly that. Focusing on small and discreet e-cigarettes that produce a realistic smoking sensation, they make for a great substitute for those looking for a safer alternative – and those in search of the most luxurious experience possible will be glad to know that the brand’s e-liquids are all made from the highest quality flavour ingredients, right here in the UK.
“We strive to provide the highest quality vaping products to help as many people as we can to kick the habit for good, and it’s so rewarding when one of our customers writes a review sharing how SMOKO has changed their lives! It makes everything we do so worthwhile,” says Mike.
With a more positive outlook for the rest of this year as we begin to rise from the ashes of 2020, now, it seems, is as good a time as any to take the first steps towards kicking the habit. And, if you’ve been picking up those cigarettes a little too often of late, then a fresh start could be just what you need.
So if you are looking to make a change – why not check out some of SMOKO’s great products here.
