What vapes are, the benefits of vaping and how to quit vaping.
Vapes are battery-powered devices that contain a solution (e-liquid) that's heated to release a vapour which you inhale. They're sometimes called e-cigarettes or e-cigs.
Vaping is one of the most popular and effective way for smokers to quit.
Vaping is less harmful than smoking
There are many misconceptions about vaping, however research has shown that vaping is less harmful than smoking.
This is because vapes do not release carbon monoxide or tar which are linked to the health problems caused by smoking.
Vapes can contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance also found in tobacco products.
Whilst nicotine is addictive it has been used safely for many years to help people quit smoking. It does not cause the same health problems that burnt tobacco products cause.
However, we do not know the long-term effects of vaping. If you're vaping to quit smoking, you should aim to eventually stop vaping.
Illegal and illicit products can be dangerous. They can contain ingredients that are harmful or contain different amounts of nicotine than they say.
If you're buying your own vape only use a specialist vape shop so that you know it's legal and safe to use.
Quit vaping
Once you've been vaping for a while and feel sure you will not go back to smoking, you should aim to quit vaping too.
To stop vaping, you need to:
- reduce your nicotine strength gradually over several weeks or even months. Remember it is not a race, do this at a pace that feels manageable for you
- limit the locations that you allow yourself to vape
- start to increase the periods of time between vaping sessions and gradually reduce the number of puffs you take when using the device