Why choosing to vape is the best way to quit smoking

Why using an E-Cigarette is the best way to quit smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do, and a lot of people opt to use Nicotine Replacement Therapy to help them in the process. The long standing servants in the NRT game are Nicotine patches, lozenges or gum. But current trends have been disrupted by the new kid on the block: E-Cigarettes. E-Cigarettes are the best thing to replicate the sensation of smoking, just without all the nasty toxins and chemicals that come with it. They are fast becoming the preferred method by smokers wanting to quit and first recommended by GP’s and stop smoking services, lets get into why using an e-cigarette is the best way to quit smoking.

What to expect when you quit smoking and start vaping

If you’ve been a smoker for a long time, you might find making the switch to Vaping a little strange, and maybe even a little hard to start off with. However, getting right vaping kit and set up is crucial if you want your vaping experience to be similar to smoking.

You’ll want to get a mouth to lung style vape, which replicates the sensation of smoking of the nicotine in your vape juice giving you a throat hit, like what a cigarette does, but this will be much smoother.

You can expect to get a much more satisfying experience with a vape than a cigarette, as vaping is so much less harmful than smoking, and considerably more flavoursome than smoking a cigarette. And the addition of not ingesting the thousands of different chemicals and carcinogens that are normally found in cigarettes.

Transitioning from smoking to vaping is hard as I said, but with some willpower and determination, you can make it as easy as possible!

Will vaping help me stop smoking?

Short answer is yes, vaping to stop smoking cigarettes is helpful in the journey to fully quitting. Some new vapers will find they’ll “dual-use” for a little while, which while not ideal, is ok to do. This means using an E-Cig, but also having the occasional cigarette in between. You’ll want to kick this as soon as possible and just use your vape to get your nicotine fix, as the sooner you quit smoking, the sooner all the toxins and chemicals that are harbouring can start dispersing out of your body.

Vaping will help you stop smoking by giving you the amount of nicotine you’re accustomed via the vape juice you use. You’ll want to get the right nicotine strength based on how many cigarettes you previously smoked, so if you were a heavy smoker, a high nicotine content like 20mg nicotine salts would be a good starting point. If you were a lighter smoker, the weaker strength of 10mg nicotine would be more suitable.

What about risks from nicotine?

There is a common misconception that Nicotine has a part in the harm and risks of smoking cigarettes, as well as the apparent “risks” of vaping. And that’s exactly what it is, a misconception, because Nicotine itself is not harmful. The harm that comes from cigarettes is from the chemicals like tar or carbon monoxide, as well as others and carcinogens that are found in a lit cigarette, not the nicotine!

Nicotine has never been proven to be harmful, or the cause of any serious health conditions or diseases.

It is however, a highly addictive chemical that can lead to a long addiction and dependence but is not harmful how it’s portrayed. I’ve documented in more detail about Nicotine which you can read HERE

How do I choose the right e-cigarette for me?

Choosing the right e-cigarette to help you quit smoking is absolutely crucial if you want to successfully quit smoking.

You’ll want to get yourself a decent starter kit set up that replicates the effect of smoking in a mouth to lung style. This is where you inhale on your vape, and the nicotine from the vape juice hits the back of your throat and you then exhale, just like smoking a cigarette.

I recommend getting a vape you can refill with whatever vape juice you choose to use (I heard 2X Vape juice is the best juice to use) and something with a decent battery life that will last you most of the day.

If you’re unsure of anything, I’d highly recommend popping to your local specialist vape shop and speaking to one of the staff who will help you get set up. One of my favourite things when I used to manage my vape shop was helping people start out on their vaping journey so I’m sure the staff at your local shop will be as happy to help like I was.

Is vaping a safe way to quit smoking?

Public Health England declared in 2016 that Vaping is 95% safer than smoking, and more recently have reiterated their views in their latest publication about Vaping which you can read HERE.

The reason they said this is because Vaping really is safer than smoking, therefore a safe way to quit smoking. Some chemicals found in cigarettes have been found in vapour made by an E-Cigarette, but in such miniscule amounts, it is not deemed harmful compared to the high rates found in cigarette smoke.

GP’s and Stop Smoking services are beginning to fully back vaping as a safe and preferred method to quit smoking, and often suggesting it to their patients as the first thing to try.

With backing from Public Health as well as health care professionals, it speaks for itself that Vaping is a safe way to quit.

Can I get an e-cigarette from my GP?

Whilst I cannot speak for all GP’s in the country, as far as I know, you cannot get an e-cigarette direct from your GP. However, GP’s are now recommending E-Cigarettes to people as a safer alternative to smoking and referring patients to their local stop smoking service.

Some stop smoking services have successfully trialled and now rolling out to a more nationwide demographic a “voucher to vape” scheme, where they give patients a voucher to take to their local vape shop in exchange for a starter kit.

They can also give advice and information on using an e-cigarette as a smoking cessation tool and provide support to make sure smokers quit and don’t go back to smoking.

Conclusion

I’m a firm believer in Vaping is the best method for someone to use to quit smoking, and I hope this article with all the information provided has helped you now believe this also. 

If you are a current smoker who is looking to quit and move onto vaping, I’d recommend consulting your local GP or Stop smoking service so they can get you started on the right path. Or visit your local vape shop for some friendly advice!