Since the Go Smoke Free legislation went live in the UK back in 2007 there has been a keener public awareness of the dangers of smoking, however people still continue to smoke. Why is this? While smoking numbers have dropped it would appear that vaping has had a lot to do with cessation levels, and hopefully will in the future as vaping offers a better way for smokers to give up.
I gave up smoking over twelve years ago, long before vaping really became a thing. It was hard! It was so blooming hard but I did it. I had some great motivations to quit and by that point, I think I was ready, however, for some giving up smoking is incredibly difficult, especially going cold turkey.
When it comes to giving up smoking you aren’t simply making a decision to quit. First of all, there’s the nicotine content in tobacco cigarettes. Nicotine is addictive, no-one is denying that. Believe it or not, you may also be addicted to the other chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes. Strictly speaking, these may not be known for having addictive properties however your body does get used to having them around. On top of this is the fact that you would be giving up another habit; a hand to mouth habit/action, a part of your day, a routine and of course the social aspect of smoking (although this has lessened since public smoking bans came into place).
It would seem for some that giving up smoking is simply too difficult, especially going cold turkey and particularly if more traditional methods for supporting the quitting of smoking ,such as gum and patches haven’t worked for you. What’s the answer? Vaping is.
E Cigarettes as Cessation Devices
Many official bodies advocate for the use of e cigarettes as a safer and healthier alternative to smoking. WHO (the World Health Organisation) have classified a number of the chemicals found within tobacco cigarettes as being toxic and potentially cancer causing. No such classification exists for e liquids, which are heated to produce a vapour as opposed to tobacco that is burned. When moving over to vaping you get to maintain an enjoyable, relaxing hobby, the hand/mouth action isn’t lost, there is a social element to vaping and you still have access to nicotine. As a cessation device the e cigarette has been highly effective and partially responsible for the drop in adult smoking numbers in the UK, as well as further afield. Vaping even caters for those who don’t want to miss out on the tobacco taste with quality e liquids such as these from Black Note.
What About Nicotine?
We know that nicotine is addictive, however there is no evidence that it is harmful to health beyond that (unless you drink it, please don’t drink it!). The benefit of moving over to vaping from smoking is that with vaping you may choose to use e liquids with varying different nicotine strengths within them. That means that you may maintain the level you are used to with smoking and gradually reduce this, all the way down to zero nicotine. There are many zero nicotine e liquids so that it is possible, and many do choose to vape nicotine free e cigarettes, enjoying the hobby without any chemical nasties and without nicotine.
Who Supports Vaping as a Cessation Method?
Vaping has not yet officially been given the stamp of approval from the government in terms of putting up billboards that say “Quit today, use an e cigarette” or having officially adopted e cigarettes as NHS cessation devices however, there is a lot of support for this. Numerous health bodies, cancer charities (including UK Cancer Research), doctors and other health professionals have called for the use of e cigarettes to help people quit, citing the fact that you are immediately choosing a cleaner and healthier hobby over a well-known dangerous one, as well as them understanding that when it comes to giving up smoking, you are fighting a physical habit, as well as a chemical one.
Public Health England, the government body responsible for the implementation of the 2007 smoking ban legislation which saw smoking banned in pubs, cafes, on public transport and more are keen advocates of vaping, listing e cigarettes as a valid and useful cessation aid on their Stoptober campaign materials (Stoptober is the annual NHS public health campaign aimed at helping people quit smoking). Clearly many support the use of e cigarettes as a cessation method.
The Future
The number of people choosing to smoke is falling and the number of people switching over to vaping is rising. This can only be a good thing. I’d love to see a wider acceptance for vaping, particularly from the NHS (officially) as I truly believe it is a great tool in helping people quit smoking and as such should be one the government are supporting more widely. Vaping isn’t as complicated as many expect it to be and there is some great guidance for helping people get started and for vaping troubleshooting. It’s definitely worth finding out more about.
