A recent NHS study in the UK[1] found that e-cigarettes are twice as likely to help smokers quit their habit than nicotine products like patches and gums. 

Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?

The fact that you are reading this article today means that you have taken the first step to quit smoking. Sadly, it’s likely that you took this exact step many times before. Many smokers try to quit their habit time and again. Some manage to do it, but most people just go back to smoking after a few weeks, days, or even hours of trying.

Most of these “attempts” at giving up smoking happen around the New Year. People resolve to quit the habit and dive all in. The sudden shock of not getting their routine nicotine fix is just too overwhelming for many people never, and they inevitably fall back to their doom – the cigarette.

The secret to quitting smoking lies in proper planning, preparation, and execution. If you keep putting it off for another day, you’ll never be able to do it. But, if you try too hard, you’ll go back to it. So, how do you strike that delicate balance? You taper it off. And that’s where vaping comes in.

Here’s a detailed guide to help you quit smoking by switching over to vaping. 

Step 1: Be Mentally Prepared

Traditionally, quitting smoking required a firm grip on your cravings and desires. You slip up once, and you’re back to the same old routine.

Thankfully, vaping makes it a lot easier. You don’t need to exercise great self-control over a long period to transition from smoking to vaping. In fact, pretty soon, you’ll fall so much in love with vaping that you’ll find it easy to say no to smoke a cigarette. But that will take weeks. Initially, though, you will experience powerful cravings, and you will have to control them.

So, if you need a few days to prepare yourself, that’s fine. But, set yourself a target when you wish to quit. It should be over the next few days. Not weeks or months later!

And, when you are mentally prepared, it’s time to get started.

Step 2: Find the Right E-Cigarette

The “right” vape device can make or break your vaping journey. Vape devices differ in terms of complexity, vapor production, and experience. It’s exciting and enticing to buy one of the more feature-rich and customizable vape devices that allow you to pump out big clouds. But, guess what – they require a great deal of knowledge, time, and effort to properly set up, and use.

The more complex vape devices are not only tricky to use but potentially hazardous in the wrong hands. So, here’s some tips to consider when making the switch to vaping:

Start With the Simplest and Easiest E-Cigarettes

This simple practice can go a long way in helping you keep up with your mission.

The most user-friendly vape systems are pod mods. They offer little customization, if any, and some even come with e-liquids preloaded into the devices. You can select the pod mod with the nicotine strength that works for you best.

Typically, most recent smokers start with 3% to 5% (30mg- 50mg) nicotine strength. These strengths offer a comparable level of nicotine that smokers get from their cigarettes. If you need more tailored advice, here you go:

• Heavy smokers that consume 20+ cigarettes a day should consider starting with a high strength 30-50mg nicotine salt e-liquid
• Medium smokers that consume 10-20 cigarettes a day should consider a mid strength (20mg-30mg) nicotine salt e-liquid
• Light smokers who consume 10 cigarettes or less, should consider a lower strength 10-20mg nicotine salt e-juice

Step 3: Vape the Right Way

You put the vape in your mouth and inhale the same way you do with a cigarette. But, that’s where the similarities pretty much end. Vaping and smoking are two vastly different experiences and activities. So, when you transition from smoking to vaping, you must learn to vape the proper way.

Vaping involves no burning of e-liquid or other substances. An electric coil heats the e-juice to vaporise it and produce clouds of vapour. The coil is activated every time you take a puff. You don’t light up anything. In most pod devices, the mere action of puffing starts the vaporisation process, but some include a button.

Step 4: Choose the Right e-Liquid Flavor

Becoming a vaper opens you up to thousands of flavors, nicotine strengths, and mouth feels. 

Initially, you may be tempted by the taste and flavor of tobacco you are trying to quit. If that’s the case, then give the tobacco-flavored e-juices a go. There is a wide variety of tobacco-flavored e-juices, and they’ll satisfy your cravings for tobacco flavor. Try different tobacco flavors until you find one that works right for you.

Its quite common for new vapers to gradually taper down on tobacco. flavoured e-juices and move to more decadent flavors like fruits, desserts and beverages. 

Step 5: Find Your Perfect PG/VG Ratio

E-liquids are made of two base ingredients – propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). PG is a colorless, odorless liquid with significantly less viscosity than VG. It produces a strong throat hit, which is preferred by ex-smokers. On the other hand, VG is a highly viscous fluid and produces thick vapor clouds that are preferred by experienced vapers.

Don’t rock the boat too much when you are transitioning from smoking to vaping. Keep your experience as close to the authentic cigarette experience. That means, a PG/VG ratio of 50/50 or even 40/60 should give you the same throat hit as what you’d expect from regular cigarettes. Most nicotine salt eLiquids come in this formulation because in addition to it vaporising in a way that provides a sensation similar to. smoking a cigarette, it works best with most MTL pod systems. 

The same goes for nicotine strengths, as discussed above. Start at the right nicotine strength to match your daily nicotine intake and reduce it gradually over time.

Step 6: Go Easy on The Switch

The trick to a successful switch from smoking to vaping is finding the right flavour and nicotine strength for you. At first, vaping may not give you the "full effect" you get with smoking but usually within a few days, you will notice your body adjusting to the new reality and accepting vaping as the primary nicotine fix activity.

During this time, try experimenting with different e-juices until you find one or more that works well for you. An effective way to find a flavour that works well for you is to go into your local vapeshop. Most specialty vape stores in New Zealand have complimentary eLiquid sampling available in store. 

Step 7: Don’t Walk Alone!

“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

-- African Proverb

Vaping is a new experience. Think of it as a lifestyle change. 

How do you take it to the next level? By engaging with like-minded people, of course. There are a tonne of Facebook pages, blogs, and support forums where you can engage with other like minded vapers.

The vaping community is fast-growing and is comprised of a bunch of helpful guys and gals. Whether you are looking for advice on vape devices, e-juices, or help with quitting smoking, you can find it all in the community.

When you engage with others, you feel part of the community, and vaping becomes a new routine – a stepping stone to a new YOU!

What to expect when you have stopped smoking

Vaping helps you get your nicotine fix without consuming many of the carcinogens and toxins inside a traditional cigarette. The following is not medical advice but is intended to give you an indication of what many smokers who fully transition to vaping go through. 

·      A few days: Improved Energy Levels

You will witness higher energy levels within just 8 hours of not puffing up a cigarette. Cigarettes pump your blood with carbon monoxide, among other toxins. This compound readily reacts with your blood oxygen to form carbon dioxide, and in turn, deprives your blood of oxygen supply.

·      1 week: Improved Sense of Taste & Smell

Without the smoke and toxins constantly damaging the tissues in your nose, mouth, and lungs, you will experience a heightened sense of smell and taste. Foods, drinks, flowers, fragrances, and everything around you will feel fresh and livelier than ever before. 

You will start picking up scents around you that you had previously missed altogether. You will begin to enjoy the flavor profile of everything you consume in a richer and nuanced way.

·      3 Months: Easier breathing

Many smokers suffer through coughing, wheezing, and shallow breathing. This is caused by the deposits and debris left by cigarette smoke in your lungs. Tar, soot, and hundreds of toxins prevent your lungs from performing at their natural best. 

How to Make the Switch From Smoking To Vaping Easier? Here Are Some Tips. 

·      Don’t Expect a Miracle

Vaping is great, but remember, it’s only a catalyst to what you are trying to achieve. It’s not the ultimate solution. Your willpower and determination go a long way in helping you wring yourself out of the clutches of cigarettes.

Find ways to make vaping more enjoyable. Steer your mind away from cigarettes. Keep yourself together.

·      Don’t Be Shy of What You Like

The vaping community is generally welcoming of your choices. They all enjoy a variety of flavors, PG/VG ratios, and nicotine strengths. So, you don’t have to choose e-liquids or vape devices to impress. In fact, never buy a vape or e-liquid based on how they look. Choose them based on how they feel.

Whether you want the fruitiest of flavors, or the most colorful vape devices, it’s your choice. Don’t let imaginary peer pressure guide your decisions. When you enjoy what you vape, you are more likely to stick to it.

·      Have Backup Vapes & E-Juices

Reusable vape devices require charging often, and that’s when the nicotine craving may take over. So, have a backup vape to help you surf through those odd hours.

Also, always make sure that you have backup e-liquids and you never run dry. It goes without saying that backup e-juices must be just that – backup. Don’t put off restocking your e-juice supply until you get to the backup. You should do it in advance, well in advance.

·      Don’t Vape Constantly

With a cigarette, you know when to end. You burn through it until you reach the bitter end. Vaping, on the other hand, requires you to decide when to end. Try to vape in line with your smoking habits to reduce the risk of you increasing your dependancy on nicotine. 

Vaping has successfully helped many adults stop smoking, if done right it will most likely work for you to! Ready to take the next steps to a smoke-free life?