Fear and loathing can drive you to something good

I finally realised that smoking was a one-way ticket to an early grave and the thought of leaving my young daughter without a dad for something that was entirely preventable, and stupid I might add, just filled me with fear and loathing.

I used to joke that “Giving up smoking is easy man – I’ve done it loads of times!” But this time it’s for good. I really, really, really mean it.

I’m not going cold turkey, however, and I celebrated National No Smoking Day yesterday with my new e-cigarette which has probably been the difference between me staying off the cancer sticks and shamefully giving in when the desperate cravings take hold of my senses.

Vaping is like the methadone of smoking, a close substitute but, as it stands at the moment, not as harmful to your health and there is a massive market for it now.

I started off with a cheap e-cig that I didn’t particularly enjoy, but managed to stick with it, before a colleague pointed me in the direction of a shop in Falkirk.

This place is a vaping mecca and sells good quality stuff, including its own juice for the tanks (I learned this lingo in the shop) on your e-cig.

And they won’t sell you anything you don’t need either.

I went in all typical alpha male style and asked for one of the biggest ones they had before the chap, after a few probing questions about my ‘smoking needs and habits’ advised me I’d probably be better off with one of the wee girly ones.

Felt like a total amateur in this vapers’ paradise, but the good news is it was half the price – and I got two.