Vaping has become one of the most popular ways for people to quit smoking in recent years. Even the government has taken notice; they plan to introduce vaping to Stop Smoking Services across the UK as soon as possible. It’s all a part of their ‘Smokefree 2030’ plan, which aims to have only 5% of the current 15% of the UK population smoking by the given deadline.
While vaping certainly isn’t the only way for people to quit smoking, it has become an effective solution for many. There is a growing body of officially recognised evidence that tells us vaping – combined with the right support and guidance – can give people a better chance of kicking their old habits.
If you want to explore vaping as an alternative to smoking, industry experts EDGE Vaping outline below how to make the safe switch to vaping on their quitting journey, and have some great tips to help make that transition a little easier.
Is vaping a good alternative?
Each journey towards smoking cessation is different, and it’s important to find a method that suits your needs and lifestyle. Vaping doesn’t have to be the answer, but lots of people have found it to be an effective way to stop or reduce their smoking habits.
Public Health England annually updates their review of e-cigarettes and their impact. Under ‘the e-cigarette evidence review’, it was recently found that vaping was the most popular way for smokers to quit, with 27.2% using e-cigarettes, while only 18.2% utilised traditional NRT-like patches and gums.
According to the NHS:
- Nicotine vaping products were the most popular aid (27.2%) used by smokers trying to quit in England in 2020.
- It is estimated that in 2017, more than 50,000 smokers stopped smoking with the aid of a vaping product who would otherwise have carried on smoking.
- Using a vaping product as part of a quit attempt in local stop smoking services had some of the highest quit success rates – between 59.7% and 74% in 2019 and 2020.
Is vaping safe?
There is now more evidence than ever that positions vaping as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes. Most famously evidenced by Public Health England’s landmark 2015 study which declared vaping to be ‘95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes’. Long-term studies into the effects of vaping are well underway, but are yet to give us the full picture. The evidence available to date, however, suggests the risk is at least far lower than smoking.
Until vaping products are available directly from the NHS or stop smoking services, anyone looking to try it as an alternative should always make sure to purchase from a reputable retailer, sticking to well-known brands, like EDGE, who offer transparency, support, and provide proper safety information.
Is it ok to smoke and vape at the same time?
This is called being a ‘dual user’. Provided vaping has replaced some of your cigarette consumption, then ultimately you are reducing risk, which is a positive. Many people dual use while they wean themselves off smoking, it can be a natural part of the journey and so you shouldn’t worry too much.
Reducing, but maintaining a smoking habit alongside a new vaping routine can actually be a useful method of transitioning. Doing so can help manage extreme cravings, especially during periods of stress or social pressure. Given enough time to acclimatise to a vape, or experiment to find the best flavour and nicotine strength for your needs, your new vaping journey can be that much more successful.
While it can be a useful tool to ease the transition, those with an end goal of making the switch to vaping exclusively must be careful not to find themselves trapped by dual use. Keeping cigarettes in your life may make it harder to make that final push towards vaping by itself as the satisfaction offered by smoking may consistently eclipse that of your new vape, making it mentally challenging to let go for good.
Further to this, the dual intake of nicotine could actually deepen your addiction and lead to you struggling to find a vaping product that can meet such extreme needs. We must be equally careful to ensure that smoking doesn’t start to overtake vaping and become the main source of your nicotine intake, invalidating any potential benefits of making even a partial switch.
What Vaping Device Should I choose?
There are a vast number of devices available for you to choose from and your success in vaping can depend on making the right choice. There are simply too many individual models out there to break it down concisely by device.
However, despite the variety, most vaping devices fall within one of a handful of categories which we will detail below, all of which can be found in many of your local retailers and vape outlets:
What is an All-in-One (AIO) Vaping Device?
- AIO devices, also known as “pen style” devices, feature a battery and a tank in one complete unit rather than as interchangeable parts, like the EDGE Pro.
- While not the smallest available, most AIO devices are compact and pocket friendly.
What is a Pod Vaping Device?
- Pod devices are the most discreet and compact option available today and have become very popular in recent years.
- Featuring either disposable or refillable pods rather than tanks, they are specifically designed to reduce user interaction and make the vaping experience as efficient and streamlined as possible.
What is a Mod Vaping Device?
- Mods are larger, high-powered devices that can be combined with different tanks.
- Mod devices are most commonly paired with tanks that use sub-ohm coils (rated 0.9ohms or less) and are designed to work best with thicker High-VG e-liquids, producing bigger clouds of vapour.
What is a Disposable Vape?
- Disposable vapes are a much newer phenomenon in vaping and have quickly become very popular. They are single-use and are thrown away when the battery dies or e-liquid runs out.
- They contain nic salt e-liquid which is very smooth but very powerful, and come in many bright colours and flavours, but are very bad for the environment.
What Different Types of E-Liquid Are There?
The ingredients above are combined in varying amounts to create the different types of e-liquid available for you to try. The most common categories are 50-50 or HVG, but there are sub-types within these that offer experiences suited to different needs.
Standard (50/50)
- The most commonly used e-liquids, like the EDGE Core range, are typically called “50/50”. This refers to the fact that in most cases these e-liquids will contain an even ratio of PG to VG, which results in a stable mixture capable of supporting nicotine strengths of up to 20mg (which is the regulatory maximum strength).
Nic Salts
- Nicotine Salt e-liquids follow the same principles as the 50/50 and are blended in the exact same way. The primary difference is that they utilise salt rather than freebase nicotine. This offers some benefits including a smooth taste and deep satisfaction even when vaped at higher strengths like those found in the EDGE GO smooth collection.
HVG (AKA – 80/20 or 70/30)
- High Vegetable Glycerol (aka HVG) e-liquids are, along with the 50/50, one of the longest-standing liquid varieties available to consumers. They utilise a much higher ratio of VG in their recipe. Due to the lower volume of PG, a more effective carrier agent, HVG e-liquids are typically unavailable in strengths beyond 3mg or 6mg.
Good Luck on Your Journey!
We hope this information helps you understand a little more about the basics of vaping, as well as help you make a safe and successful transition from smoking. Even if you decide against vaping the EDGE team wishes you luck in achieving your goals!
