Vaping for Beginners

What Happens When You Quit Smoking & Start Vaping?

This article was written by Tjobbe Andrews | Published: December 5, 2022 | Last updated: May 6, 2026

Hands using scissors to cut a cigarette in half

Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of ill health, disability and death in the UK.^[1] That makes transitioning from smoking to vaping the single best thing smokers can do for their health and wellbeing.^[2]

When switching from smoking to vaping, ex-smokers experience the health benefits of eliminating tobacco almost immediately and see significant improvements over the weeks and months after their last cigarette.

Along with the health benefits of quitting smoking, switching to vaping also gives ex-smokers the opportunity to gradually reduce nicotine intake and increase their chance of stopping smoking for good. ^[3]

Here's an outline of what happens when you quit smoking and start vaping.

The benefits of stopping smoking begin almost immediately after smoking your last cigarette with the first improvement noticeable in less than an hour.

Check out our timeline of quitting smoking: ^{[4] [5]}

After 20 Minutes

After 8hrs

After 48hrs

After 72hrs

After 20 minutes, your pulse rate will start to slow and gradually return to normal.

After 8 hours, your oxygen levels begin to recover, and your carbon monoxide levels will reduce by half.

After 48 hours, all carbon monoxide is flushed from your body and your lungs begin to clear mucus.

After 72 hours, your bronchial tubes start to relax, making breathing start to feel much easier.

After 2 Weeks

After 1 Month

After 6 Months

After 1 Year

After two weeks, circulation vastly improves and lung function creases by as much as 30%.

After one month, you'll have more energy and will have less shortness of breath during exercise.

After six months, the airways are less inflamed and physical activity becomes easier.

After nine months, your lung function increases by as much as 10% and coughing problems decrease.

After 2 Weeks

After 1 Month

After 6 Months

After 9 Months

After two weeks, circulation vastly improves and lung function creases by as much as 30%.

After one month, you'll have more energy and will have less shortness of breath during exercise.

After six months, the airways are less inflamed and physical activity becomes easier.

After nine months, your lung function increases by as much as 10% and coughing problems decrease.

After 1 Year

After 5 Years

After 10 Years

After one year, your chances of heart attack drop by 50% compared to that of a smoker.

After five years, your chances of developing mouth, throat or voice box cancer reduces by 50%.

After 10 years, your chances of developing smoking-related illnesses decrease significantly.

The Benefits of Quitting Smoking and Vaping Instead

The biggest advantage of quitting smoking and starting vaping are the improvements to your health and wellbeing. In addition to the improvements to your physical health outlined in our quit smoking timeline, studies show that quitting smoking can drastically improve mental wellbeing.^[6]

Stop Smoking Success

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and that just 5% of people succeed in stopping smoking for more than six months when trying to quit "cold turkey."^[7]

Vaping has been named one of the most effective tools to quit smoking by the NHS, with ex-smokers being twice as likely to quit smoking when using a nicotine vape compared to nicotine replacement products.^[8]

The reason for this is clear: vaping allows smokers to gradually break smoking habits by reducing the impact of nicotine withdrawal over time and alleviating associated symptoms such as:^[9]

Insatiable cravings and increased appetite

Mood swings and irritability

Insomnia, fatigue and poor concentration

Headaches and dizziness

Anxiety and depression

Swapping to Stop

Smoking causes more than 16 different types of cancer along with many other diseases. Cancer Research confirms that, if you smoke, stopping completely is the best thing you can do for your health.^[10]

Here's what you need to know about transitioning from cigarettes to vapes:

Can quitting smoking make you tired?

How long does fatigue last after quitting smoking?

Can giving up smoking make you ill?

When you stop smoking, you may experience nausea, anxiety and irritability. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and the lack of it can cause uncomfortable side effects. Many people find that quitting smoking and headaches go hand in hand. Some people also experience chest pain after stopping smoking.^[14]

Unfortunately, these are common symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Fortunately, nicotine withdrawal symptoms don't last forever.

How long does it take lungs to heal after smoking?

When you stop smoking, your lungs will gradually begin to regenerate, which drastically decreases the risk of developing lung cancer.

The time it takes for your lungs to heal depends on how long you smoked for. As a rule, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood start to return to normal after just a few days and lung function drastically improves by three months. By 12 months, it's likely that you'll experience normal lung function comparable to that of a non-smoker.^[15]

How long for carbon monoxide to leave body after smoking?

Using Electronic Cigarettes to Stop Smoking

The Cochrane Library has found that people are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using nicotine e-cigarettes than nicotine replacement therapies like patches and gums.^[18] Here's what you need to know about using electronic cigarettes to stop smoking:

What is the best vape to quit smoking with?

Many smokers find cigalikes the best vape to quit smoking with. Cigalikes are specially designed to imitate the experience of smoking a conventional cigarette with a style, size and shape that is very similar to a cigarette.

Cigalikes are available in a range of nicotine strengths which makes them the best vape for heavy smokers who want to gradually reduce their nicotine intake.

Try the OK Cigalike today

What does vaping feel like?

Vaping is designed to emulate the sensation of smoking a cigarette, but there are some key differences that make it feel slightly different. When you vape, you inhale a vapour rather than smoke.

Vapour is cool compared to the heat of tobacco smoke. It also has a smoother texture and a thicker consistency which is more pleasant in the long run but can sometimes make you cough as you acclimatize to the change.

Why do I vape more than I smoked?

It's normal to vape more frequently than you used to smoke. The reason for this is simple: smoking delivers nicotine much quicker than nicotine, so ex-smokers feel they need to vape more frequently to intake nicotine at the same speed.

This is not more harmful than smoking since each puff on a vape carries a small fraction of the risks of a puff. The NHS recommend using your vape as much as possible to help you stop smoking and stay quit.^[19]

Where can I get a free stop smoking vape kit?

Quit Smoking with E-Cigs

At OK Vape, we pride ourselves on being the UK's number one independent e-cigarette brand, dedicated to delivering quality vape products to ex-smokers nationwide.

From Cigalike Kits and Vape Pens to Pod Vapes and Box Kits, there are vape kits and e-liquids to suit everyone. For those new to the world of vaping, the OK Cigalike is compact, convenient and serves as a simple and satisfying alternative to traditional tobacco products.

Designed to help ex-smokers, vaping is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking with minimal side effects and a high chance of success.

Tjobbe Andrews

Tjobbe is the E-Commerce Manager at OK Vape. Having successfully quit smoking using the OK Cigalike, Tjobbe brings a unique perspective to his articles. Now smoke-free for more than a decade, Tjobbe is dedicated to spreading the word about the advantages of swapping to stop. Outside of work, Tjobbe is an avid photographer and cherishes quality time spent with his family.

View all posts by Tjobbe

References