Vaping Vs Other Smoking Cessation Methods, What to Know

Compare the different smoking cessation methods and learn why vaping is the most effective smoking cessation method.

New data shows that smoking has reached an all-time low across the UK. The number of smokers is now down to 17.2% of adults, compared to 20.1% in 2010.

This is the lowest figure since records began in 1974, a fact that the study attributes to the growing use of e-cigarettes.

And, although the NHS does not currently endorse e-cigarettes, it does recognise that vaping "can help people to quit".

Read on for a comparison of how vaping compares to other smoking cessation methods and which is the most effective.

Different Smoking Cessation Methods

Here are the most common methods to help you quit smoking within the three key tactics for breaking any habit: remove, reduce or replace.

1. Remove: Go Cold Turkey

If you currently smoke a pack a day, going cold turkey means going from 20 to zero overnight. This forces you to rely solely on willpower to get you through.

Unsurprisingly, a combination of nicotine addiction and environmental factors make going cold turkey very difficult. Many people who try to quit smoking with no help at all often experience several failed attempts.

2. Reduce: Cut Down

Many smokers try to gradually cut down with a view to stopping altogether. This can mean waiting longer periods between each cigarette or only smoking half a cigarette.

But, while cutting down can help your addiction, you are still prolonging your exposure to the dangerous chemicals in tobacco.

3. Replace: Find an Alternative to Cigarettes

Whether you decide to cut down or quit suddenly, access to alternatives are often essential to help you through nicotine withdrawal.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT):

Forms of NRT include nicotine gum, patches, inhalators and nasal sprays, all of which are available on NHS prescription.

Patches would be best suited to you if you smoke continuously throughout the day as they supply a steady stream of low-dose nicotine. But if you are more likely to smoke in reaction to cravings or stress, then other forms of NRT such as the spray give an instant hit of nicotine.

Zyban

Zyban is an anti-smoking pill which helps to reduce cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The drug works by manipulating chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and beta-endorphins.

Vaping

Vaping refers to the use of e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are handheld electronic devices which heat an e-liquid to produce a vapour the user then inhales.

These e-liquids usually contain nicotine to help ex-smokers through their withdrawal symptoms. However, e-cigarettes are 95% safer than regular cigarettes.

How Vaping Can Help You Quit Smoking

Although NRT and Zyban are effective, the habit of smoking involves more factors than just an addiction to nicotine.

As well as the nicotine addiction, many smokers describe smoking as a ritual and need a way to occupy their hands while they are trying to quit. Then there are environmental influences, such as working with smokers or the association with drinking and smoking on a night out.

The action of vaping is the only smoking cessation method which provides a true replacement for all of these factors.

Ex-smokers can enjoy the ritual of loading their e-cigarette with e-liquid. And vaping gives them a way to occupy their hands while also relieving their need for a hit of nicotine.

E-cigarette users also don't need to feel left out as they can join in when their colleagues and friends go outside to light up.

And, since the amount of nicotine in the e-liquid can range from 1.8% to zero, e-cigarette users can gradually reduce their dependence on nicotine over time.

The Most Effective Smoking Cessation Method

Here you can see that vaping is the most effective smoking cessation method, thanks to the way it replaces the different factors involved in the habit of smoking.

Has vaping helped you quit smoking? Leave a comment below or contact us for more information about vaping.