Thankfully I stopped smoking a month ago using a blend of willpower, tv box sets, Diet Coke and rage. As I’m so desperate for baby 2, having read literally hundreds of Baby Bible books over the last few months, the message to quit couldn’t have been anymore clearer. I honestly don’t now why it took me so long. I have no problems quitting when actually pregnant, so I’m not sure why I needed a smiley face on a pregnancy test to give me a kick up the bum. Nevermind, it’s done. And with cigarettes now costing upwards of £7 a pack, I don’t need any convincing to make this a permanent thing.

Craigy however, still smokes. As a former smoker, I’m not offended by the smell at all but I would love for him to kick the habit - if not for his general wellbeing, then for the wellbeing of his Little General’s.

When I read all about nicoBLOC99 over on Always Be a Friend, I knew it might be a good solution for Craig. I’d tried electronic cigarettes, patches and inhalers when I was trying to quit, but had never come across a product that makes real cigarettes less harmful.

It’s a novel concept and one bound to be regarded with some skepticism. Afterall you are still actively taking in dangerous carbon monoxide. What impressed me however was that nicoBLOC99 have very responsible messaging on their website, and maintain they are a short-term solution (unlike their electronic cousins) and should be used as part of a gradual reduction program to phase out the cancer sticks altogether.

So what is it?

nicoBLOC99 is an easy-to-use dropper of food grade ingredients that you simply apply to a normal cigarette filter that can trap up to 99% of tar and nicotine when you inhale. You simply make an indent in the cigarette filter with the nozzle of the bottle, squeeze up to 3 drops into the hole, then light up as normal.

The idea is to help you give up nicotine (the core addictive ingredient within cigarettes) before you give up smoking altogether. They state it should not dramatically change the taste of a cigarette and one bottle (priced at £19.99) should last a typical 20-a-day smoker about two weeks.

So how did Craigy get on?

Well he insists his cigarettes do taste different (as though he were smoking a lighter brand) but he is able to take a sufficient drag to ease his craving (unlike with lighter brands with filter holes). Despite the very slight change in taste, he has stuck with it and is now 1 week into a self-imposed 6 week program.

He’s not asking me to pause the telly quite so often to sneak off for a fix, and the plants aren’t being watered quite so often! He tells me he’s down to around 10 per day, but most of these are purely habitual and he could drop more cigarettes if he finds a little extra motivation.

I’m optimistic that if he continues with nicoBLOC99, he could eventually become smoke-free. I’ll have to think of ways of giving him that motivation he needs - as somehow I don’t think Diet Coke and daily helpings of Downton Abbey will work on my Craig.

In all, I’m impressed with nicoBLOC99. Anything that helps us keep our filthy habits away from Dexter gets a thumbs up from me. It’s the only product Craig feels has made a difference for him - and you can’t get a higher recommendation than that!

You can find out more on the website: www.nicobloc.co.uk

DISCLAIMER: I was sent approx 6 weeks worth of nicoBLOC99 to help Craig quit smoking. All thoughts and opinions are Craig’s - the words are my own.