Quitting Smoking with Vaping

Quitting cigarettes is tough, but research shows that e-cigarettes can be a helpful and healthier way to quit. Although vaping isn’t 100% harmless, it’s a lot better for you than smoking and many former smokers have already kicked the habit using their e-cigarettes.

Vaping e-cigarettes has been estimated to be 95% less harmful than smoking, one review published by Public Health England concluded. According to the NHS, more research found that in 2021 people who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking (with face-to-face support from experts) were up to twice as likely to succeed as those who instead used nicotine replacement therapy such as gum or patches.

So, how exactly does replacing smoking with vaping work? What are the benefits of vaping instead of smoking? And what type of vaping products do you need to get started?

This article will answer all your questions about smoking cessation using vaping.

What is vaping?

Vaping refers to the practice of using an e-cigarette (also referred to as an electronic cigarette or vape) to produce vapour containing flavouring and/or nicotine which you inhale.

An e-cigarette consists of four main parts: the battery, coil, tank, and mouthpiece. When you use your vape, the battery sends power to the coil, heating it up. The hot coil in turn heats the e-liquid that is held in the tank and turns this liquid into vapour. The vapour rises through the tank and out through the mouthpiece into the vaper’s mouth as they inhale and exhale.

Why is vaping better for you than smoking?

Inhaling vapour is far less harmful in the long term than inhaling smoke from tobacco. This is because smokers inhale a harmful cocktail of chemicals including tar and carbon monoxide from cigarettes and other tobacco products. Cigarette smoking harms almost every organ in your body, causing health problems to the smoker including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Lung diseases

Secondhand smoke can also increase the risk of health problems and even death in adults and children, making smoking dangerous for everyone around the smoker.

While we currently do not know the full health impacts of vaping, research shows that it is significantly safer than smoking tobacco products. Note: this does not mean that vaping is entirely risk-free in the long term, but it is certainly better for you than a smoking habit.

How can vaping help you quit smoking?

Fortunately, research has found that many people are successfully quitting smoking by replacing their habitual cigarettes with e-cigarettes instead. According to the NHS, around two thirds of people who use an e-cigarette alongside expert support have been able to successfully quit smoking. An estimated 50,000 smokers quit in 2017 alone with the help of their electronic cigarettes.

How does using vaping to quit work? All you need to do is buy an e-cigarette and create a habit of using it instead of your normal cigarettes. When you start craving a cigarette, simply use the e-cigarette instead. The nicotine hit from your e-liquid will help fight those cravings in a healthier way than smoking.

Another benefit of opting for e-cigarettes instead of other forms of nicotine replacement therapy (eg. gum, patches, or sprays) is that it is similar to the act of smoking. If you enjoy smoking because it encourages you to go outside and take breaks throughout the day, vaping also satisfies this habit. If you enjoy the taste and sensation of smoking, vaping different e-liquids and nicotine strengths can also offer enjoyable flavours and throat hits. Moreover, if you tend to smoke socially, e-cigarettes give you the ability to continue this habit while still quitting harmful tobacco for good.

Which vaping products should you use?

There are a few different vaping products that can be used for smoking cessation. Here are the different things you may need and how to use them.

Disposable e-cigarettes

Disposable e-cigarettes are one of the simplest types of vapes and are therefore perfect for anyone quitting smoking. These self-contained little vapes are ready to use straight out of the box with fully charged batteries and are pre-filled with vape juice. Small, discreet, and pocket-friendly, these can easily replace your usual pack of cigarettes and lighter. They usually last around 500-600 puffs — enough to replace many cigarettes — after which point the battery and e-liquid will run out. Disposable e-cigs cannot be recharged or refilled so you will need to get rid of the disposable and buy a new one.

Because of their simplicity, disposables are perfect for anyone trying to replace smoking with vaping. Most don’t even have any buttons: just take a drag on the device and enjoy the delicious flavour and nicotine hit.

Vape kits

A step up from disposable e-cigarettes, vape kits are a more advanced form of electronic cigarette. Unlike disposables, these can be refilled and recharged as many times as you like, meaning that they are a far cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to disposable e-cigarettes.

A vape kit is referred to as a ‘kit’ because it contains all the parts necessary for vaping: a rechargeable battery, a tank or pod to hold the e-liquid, a coil, and a mouthpiece. Pod kits are a popular type of vape kit among former smokers because they are very beginner-friendly. There’s no need for fiddly coil changes with a pod kit — all you need to do is click the pod out of the kit and replace it with a new pod.

Some great pod kits recommended to anyone swapping cigarettes for e-cigarettes include the Uwell Caliburn G2 or the Caliburn A2. Note: vape kits do not contain e-liquid and you will need to buy this separately.

E-liquid

If you opt for a vape kit or pod kit, you’ll need to buy e-liquid. E-liquid, also sometimes called vape juice or e-juice, is the flavoured liquid that vapes turn into vapour. Just fill your e-cigarette’s tank with the e-liquid flavour of your choice and enjoy vaping. Not sure where to start? Some of the world’s best e-liquid manufacturers include Just Jam, IVG, and Twelve Monkeys.

Note: while many e-liquid flavours are fruity and sweet, there are also a variety of flavours and brands that cater to former smokers and people without a sweet tooth. Menthol flavoured e-liquids are a refreshing and popular choice, while tobacco flavours are popular among former smokers who miss the robust and rich flavour of tobacco.

For most beginner-friendly vape kits and pod kits, a 50/50 e-liquid or a nic salt is the best choice. Nic salts are nicotine-containing e-liquids which contain nicotine mixed with benzoic acid in order to make it more rapidly absorbed by the body with a smooth throat sensation. This makes nic salts perfect for anyone quitting smoking who needs quick nicotine hits.

Conclusion

Quitting cigarettes for good is a huge challenge but the rise of vaping and electronic cigarettes is making it easier than ever before. With a wide range of different e-cigarette options, flavours, and nicotine strengths, any smoker can find the healthier alternative that best suits you.

For a huge selection of e-cigarettes and e-liquids for low prices, visit Vaping 101. This online vape shop’s mission is to help smokers quit for good using high quality and affordable e-cigarettes.