By now, we’re all well aware of the harm that smoking can cause. Yet, as a smoker, the last thing that you want to hear is how unhealthy the habit really is, instead sweeping that ash under the rug until your next cigarette.
But hear about the harm, you shall; in the UK alone, 78’000 people die from smoking each year, with many more developing conditions that will debilitate them for life.
Worldwide, that figure stands at 8 million. If those frankly frightening statistics weren’t enough to scare you off the cigs for good, then can we assume you’ve found giving up a challenge?
This is likely because of nicotine, the highly addictive ingredient in cigarettes. But it’s not the nicotine alone that does the harm.
Although it’s the nicotine that keeps smokers returning to cigarettes; ‘’It’s the carbon monoxide, tar and other toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke that will cause serious damage to your health’’, as NHS Inform explains.
This has led to a rise in use of various tobacco-free products that still contain nicotine, such as gums, lozenges, patches, inhalers, and, of course, e-cigarettes, able to satisfy some of the cravings associated with cigarettes.
Indeed, in recent years, the popularity of e-cigarettes has risen in the UK, with 3.6 million adults (7.1% of the population) using them in 2021, according to the public health charity ASH (Action on Smoking and Health).
ASH went on to find that the three main reasons given for those adults using e-cigarettes are to cut down, help users quit and prevent relapse.
These assertions are broadly supported by Public Health England, who believe that vaping is ‘’95% less harmful than smoking’’, and could help many more people quit smoking via ‘tapering down’ of consumption. E-cigarettes have become the leading way that smokers (many, now ex-smokers) aim to do this.
How To Taper Down On Your Nicotine Addiction?
If you are looking to transition from smoking cigarettes to e-cigarettes to zero nicotine dependence, many prefer a gradual tapering, finding cold turkey only leads to relapse. Let’s explore how this is sometimes achieved.
Slowly Lower The Nicotine Level
Going cold turkey from nicotine is not always effective. For some, the most manageable way to start your path to nicotine-free is to slowly switch from smoking to vaping.
E-cigarettes allow you to control the nicotine level you’re exposed to, slowly reducing it as you wish. The average cigarette contains, approximately, between 10 and 12mg of nicotine. Vape juices tend to come in 12mg, 6mg, 3mg of nicotine, making it simple to lower your intake incrementally to zero over time without the need for ingesting any harmful tobacco in the process.
When Ready, Go For Zero Nicotine
Once you are used to not inhaling heavy nicotine, consider going for zero-nicotine vape juices. These are vape juices that have the same level of taste and, often crucially, that hand motion that many become accustomed to, but do not contain harmful nicotine. It’s like the modern version of the placebo effect, when you’re tricking your body into thinking that you have inhaled nicotine when in fact, you’re no longer doing it.
Schedule A Vape Break
Once you’ve become familiar with not consuming any nicotine, another tip is to let an entire day pass without vaping.
You can set a schedule once a week where you will not expose yourself to any nicotine. From one day of zero nicotine, you can slowly progress this ‘day off’ to two days, then three, up to the day that you can survive permanently without it. Of course, this is something that you cannot do in an instant. So, ideally, choose a busy day to be your vape break. Then, the next week, schedule two or three vape-free days, and so on.
Stay Busy & Active
Keeping busy, whether it’s via exercise, throwing yourself into your work, or simply working on a creative hobby, is a great way to control those nicotine cravings once you’ve gone cigarette and vape free.
As much as possible, choose a hobby that can be done indoors or in places where smoking or vaping is not allowed, ideally away from the temptations of alcohol and acquaintances who still smoke, thus avoiding any triggers that might prompt you to light up. So, that’s the coffee shop rather than the pub, then!
Find Your Own Reasons
Finally, it’s vital you find your own reasons to quit, whether that’s your health, skin, money or any other myriad benefit of giving up. Though we said ‘find your own’ reason, here are just 5 of our suggestions on why quitting smoking is the best thing you’ll do today. You won’t regret it!
The Bottom Line
Whilst a gradual reduction in consumption isn’t the most effective way to give up smoking for everyone, it can be effective for some. It should be noted that e-cigarettes do still carry some risk, and that studies are still ongoing into the extent of their harmful effects or otherwise.