Vaping to Quit Smoking
With smoking named the biggest controllable cause of death and disease, it’s unsurprising that almost half of smokers want to quit.[1] Many ex-smokers are turning to e-cigarettes as a tool to support them in stopping smoking, and for good reason: vaping is estimated to help over 50,000 smokers quit in England each year.[2]
Is Vaping Effective?
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), many smokers who continue smoking do so because they are dependent on nicotine, rather than by choice.[3] The good news is that dependence does not make it impossible to stop; it just means there are powerful urges to overcome. Vaping is a particularly effective tool in supporting smokers in swapping to stop, with the NHS reporting that ex-smokers are twice as likely to quit smoking when using a nicotine vape compared with other nicotine replacement products, like patches or gum.[4]
Is Vaping Better than Smoking?
There is no safe level of smoking – Cancer Research notes that smoking damages cells in the body, causes at least 15 different of cancer, and is the biggest cause of lung cancer in the UK.[5] E-cigarettes are available in varying nicotine strengths, firstly to replace some of the nicotine provided in cigarettes to ease cravings, and secondly to allow ex-smokers to gradually reduce their nicotine dependency.[6]
Health benefits
Vaping is proven to be up to 95% less harmful than smoking[7] owing to the fact that many toxins found in tobacco smoke are not present in vapour. E-cigarettes are also associated with a lower risk of adverse events than combustible cigarettes.[8] According to the NHS:[9]
Read more about the health benefits of stopping smoking in our What Happens When You Quit Smoking & Start Vaping guide.
Cost Benefits
Smoking cigarettes costs around three-and-a-half times as much as using e-cigarettes[10]. According to University College London, people who switch to e-cigarettes can save up to £780 a year.[11] Find out how much you could save in our Guide to Vape Prices.
How to Use Vaping to Quit Smoking
E-cigarettes are battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) consisting of a mouthpiece, battery and tank which work together to vaporise e-liquids. When a user draws from the e-cigarette, it heats the e-liquid into a vapour that delivers nicotine.
Best Vapes to Quit Smoking
E-cigarettes come in all shapes and sizes, with a range of features to suit every style and preference of vaping. Though there is no one-size-fits-all, there is one product that stands out from the rest as the best vape to quit smoking: the cigalike. Cigalikes are designed to emulate the look and feel of a traditional cigarette to ease the transition between smoking and vaping. They are typically available in familiar, cigarette-inspired flavours like menthol and tobacco to help smokers curb nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Some cigalikes are available in varying nicotine strengths to support ex-smokers in reducing their nicotine dependency over time.
OK Pod
The OK Pod uses pods that are pre-filled with flavoured e-liquid. The battery is rechargeable, allowing you to simply replace the pod every time the e-liquid runs out. This makes the device great for beginners because it’s simple to use. OK Vape offers and OK Pod Starter Kit, which includes everything you need to switch to vaping to quit smoking. In the box you’ll find the OK Pod device, three 18mg strength refills in Golden Tobacco, Menthol and Blackcurrant flavours, and a USB charging cable. Try the OK Pod Starter Kit
Rechargeable Cigalikes
Once a rechargeable cigalike is depleted, its battery can be recharged and its cartridges can be replaced, allowing vapers to use it over and over again. This provides greater cost savings compared to both traditional cigarettes and disposable cigalikes. OK Vape is a proud supplier of the UK’s leading rechargeable cigalike: the OK Cigalike. OK Cigalike Starter Kits come with everything you need to stop smoking and start vaping, including a battery, flavour cartridges and USB charger. Try the OK Cigalike Starter Kit
Choosing the Ideal Nicotine Strength
Vape kits are available in a range of different strengths to support ex-smokers in reducing their nicotine intake over time. As a general rule of thumb, novice vapers who are also heavy smokers (loosely defined as smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day) should begin with a high nicotine concentration of 18-20mg. They should then gradually switch to lower strengths throughout their stop-smoking journey. Find out more about the different nicotine strengths in Choosing a Nicotine Strength.
What Are the Side Effects of Quitting Smoking?
Stopping smoking rarely happens overnight; the main side effect of quitting smoking is withdrawal symptoms. According to Asthma + Lung UK:[12]
After quitting smoking, you may still have the urge to smoke. You may have withdrawal symptoms such as feeling restless, irritable, frustrated, or tired. Some people find it difficult to sleep or concentrate.
Why Use Vaping to Quit Smoking?
Helping to reduce tobacco withdrawal symptoms and reduce the urge to smoke cigarettes,[13] vaping is a convenient and effective way to stop smoking. By using vaping as a sustainable solution to quit smoking you’ll experience health improvements, financial gains and a better quality of life. Designed to support ex-smokers in swapping to a less harmful alternative and gradually reducing nicotine dependency, cigalikes are the ideal tool for stopping smoking and staying quit. For more information about using vaping to quit smoking check out our helpful Vaping for Beginners guide or get in touch with a member of our team by calling 0333 41 41 455
Sources:
- https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Smoking-Statistics-Fact-Sheet.pdf
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/e-cigarettes-may-help-over-50000-smokers-quit-england-each-year
- https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/stopping-smoking
- https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/#:~:text=You’re%20roughly%20twice%20as,products%2C%20like%20patches%20or%20gum
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/how-does-smoking-cause-cancer
- https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/stopping-smoking
- https://www.gov.uk/government/news/e-cigarettes-around-95-less-harmful-than-tobacco-estimates-landmark-review
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10389080/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/prevention/
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/is-vaping-harmful
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/jun/smokers-who-switch-e-cigarettes-could-save-ps780-year
- https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with/stop-smoking/withdrawal
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935206/
