TWO employees at a vape company have celebrated this “VApril”, after making the switch away from cigarettes at the start of the year.

Richard O’Doherty and Mohsin Desai both work for Vape Dinner Lady in Blackburn, and had been smoking since their teens.

They have shared their experience of making the switch as part of the UK vape industry’s annual VApril campaign, which aims to promote vaping to adult smokers looking for a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.

Despite selling Dinner Lady’s e-liquids across the UK, Europe and the US, Richard and Mohsin had never been able to successfully switch to vaping themselves – until they tried Dinner Lady’s disposable Vape Pen.

But with the support of their families and colleagues, Richard has been smoke-free since January 1, and Mohsin since February.

Senior account manager Richard, from Great Harwood, is saving at least £300 a month and plans to enjoy weekends away with his young family thanks to the money saved.

He said: “I had tried vaping before, but I don’t think I had the right e-liquids or devices. Since working for Dinner Lady I understand more about how vaping helps people find an alternative to cigarettes, and that knowledge has helped me.”

US executive Mohsin admits he was a ‘heavy’ smoker, with his day planned around his smoking rituals.

“One day in the middle of January, I just decided I would slow down,” he said. “I had five cigarettes, and said ‘That’s what I’ll have today’. I didn’t really believe it – but that day it happened. I went home that night and said ‘Tomorrow, I’ll have four’, and the next day ‘Tomorrow I’ll have three’.

“While doing that, I was using the Vape Pen, and by the start of March I had stopped cigarettes altogether, and have moved onto a refillable device.”