Going off Nicotine: Does Vaping Really Help Smokers Quit?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, seven out of 10 cigarette smokers want to quit. As many as 95% of smokers who try to quit using nicotine gum or patches go back to cigarettes. In contrast, even when they aren’t trying to quit smoking tobacco, 72% of vapers report that they smoke fewer cigarettes. When they do quit, 96% of vapers say the biggest help was e-cigarettes. Here are a few more things you might want to know regarding this subject.

Traditional Quitting Methods May Not Help

Nicotine gum and patches have been used for over 20 years, but more recent studies show they aren’t very effective. A Harvard School of Public Health study showed that gum and patches had no impact on more than 780 cigarette smokers’ success in quitting.

Success rates for smokers who try to quit without professional help can be as low as 5% after a year. Most of the studies that say the patch or gum are effective are financed by the pharmaceutical industries that make and sell them.

E-Juice Has Fewer Chemicals Than Tobacco

E-cigarette vapor has 9 to 450 times fewer toxic chemicals than cigarette smoke. A 2012 study also showed that vaping provided minimal chemical exposure for indoor use, with “no apparent risk” to human health.

Vaping liquid sold in vape shops contains simple ingredients. Many products contain vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol (PG), flavorings, and nicotine. Vape liquids can have no nicotine up to 36 milligrams per milliliter.

Vape Pens and Mods Are Different From E-Cigs

E-cigarettes sold in gas stations and convenience stores are made by tobacco companies. They contain pre-filled nicotine liquid cartridges.

Vape pens, like those from The Vape Mall, and vape mods sold at vaping stores are refillable. They can use any strength and flavor of e-liquid. Quitters can choose to gradually reduce the amount of nicotine in their e-liquid by using a vape pen or vape mod.

Vaping Lets You Control the Dose

Most vape liquids taste better with less nicotine and vapers naturally step down to lower concentrations. Over time, vapers seek more flavor and less nicotine.

Some vape liquids contain no nicotine. They are exclusively flavor-based products. Some vape shops sell more e-liquid with low nicotine concentrations than they do medium- or higher-strength products.

A number of recent studies have shown that vaping is less toxic than tobacco smoking. Cigarette smokers who used vapes reported that the vapes helped them stop smoking tobacco. E-liquid uses simple ingredients and allows vapers to control how much nicotine they are getting. All these ingredients add up to a simple answer: vaping can help cigarette smokers quit.