Looking to quit vaping altogether? Here’s how you can quit your vaping habit and why you should stick by this change
Vaping has become a social fixture in recent years as e-cigarettes slowly replaced the real thing in popularity—especially among adolescents. However, new studies on the long-term effects of vaping may have been enough to get new users to quit while they’re ahead of nicotine addiction, and potential vapers to steer clear from them altogether.
The latest research on chronic e-cigarette use, as well as reports of the EVALI outbreak (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury) in the U.S. even got chronic vapers and nicotine addicts spooked, causing many to quit the habit. These people have even shared their experiences with quitting their vaping habits online, with some going viral on TikTok.
@alyssataylorharper this is gonna be rocky so good luck to me 🥲 #quittingnicotine2023 #quittingnicotine #quittingvaping #quitvapeing #2023goals ♬ original sound – Alyssa Harper 🦋🌈
But what do the experts actually say about vaping?
Despite old popular notions that vaping is less harmful than cigarette smoking, e-cigarette use still poses grave health risks to a vaper’s organs, such as arrhythmias, pulmonary inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and lung disease. Vaping also has negative effects that are unique and distinct from conventional tobacco smoking.
While one 2021 study determined that e-cigarette consumption is less toxic than tobacco smoking, a 2023 study using in vivo PET imaging to compare lung inflammation between e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers, and non-smokers/vapers found that e-cigarette users had greater pulmonary inflammation than the other two groups.
Additionally, a 2022 study determined that “vaping, but not smoking, causes changes in the blood that increase microvascular endothelial permeability and may have a vaping-specific effect on intracellular oxidative state.” Based on this report, an editorial commented that e-cigarettes should then be regarded as “equally toxic as combustible cigarettes in regard to vascular injury.”
Not only that but chronic vaping has also been associated with impaired brain function. And according to another 2022 study, both e-cigarette and nicotine use “negatively impact anxiety, depression, concentration, and learning, particularly among adolescents, whose brains are still developing.”
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That said, further study is still needed to corroborate the long-term effects of chronic e-cigarette use on a person’s health. Even still, chronic vapers have identified that their breathing and stamina have improved over time after quitting nicotine and vaping.
@smokulani its like all good but the craving never goes away i guess?? or is it just me lol #quittingvaping #quittingnic #nicotine #vaping #dayinmylife #nyc #fyp ♬ original sound – Angie Hokulani
How to quit
If you’re a smoker that’s done their research or checked in with their doctor, you might have landed on the conclusion to quit vaping as well.
For how to quit, you’ll find plenty of resources and support online to help you along, such as This is Quitting. You can also make use of the government’s Smoking Cessation Program for medical intervention. Counseling, behavior therapy, and using products like nicotine patches, gum, and nasal sprays are also known aids.
You’ll also find advice online from those that suffer from nicotine addictions and withdrawals, such as using negative reinforcement.
@brownricebandit #stitch with @theclairehesser ♬ original sound – Magilian | Fitness & Health
Meanwhile, many smokers and vapers find that quitting the habit cold turkey is the best approach as opposed to gradually cutting down. Suggestions for this approach include avoiding situations that will trigger a desire to smoke, distracting yourself with new activities, getting support from family and friends, and focusing on the benefits of not smoking.
From what we’ve mentioned so far, the benefits of not smoking are that you’ll significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular and lung diseases, and improve your overall physical and mental health. You’ll also be saving money from such a costly habit and feel less agitated over nicotine in the long term.
