Quit Smoking

By Cody

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Recently, I quit vaping for good. After over 5 years of smoking, I found it relatively easy to stop smoking nicotine. The problem was stopping the constant hand-to-mouth habit. 

It is famously difficult for people to quit smoking, this is because the substance found in cigarettes and vapes (nicotine) is an addictive substance. In recent years, most people are vaping, particularly younger people and even those who are as young as 9 years old, according to BBC researchers. 

After speaking to a small group of young people who vape, I’ve been told that they enjoy vaping ‘flavoured air’. Whilst this is strictly true, scientists still don’t know the true dangers of vaping, as vapes have only been around for a short time. 

Why is smoking and vaping bad for you? 

Commonly known issues with smoking cigarettes are the tobacco and chemicals found within the tobacco that can cause various cancers. But, not only can smoking cause cancer, it can cause hearing issues, sight problems, damage to your joints, dementia, high blood pressure and digestive problems. That is only SOME of the worst problems smoking can cause; there are many more! According to Cancer Research UK, one cigarette can release over 5000 different chemicals, and when they burn, many are poisonous. ‘At least 70 chemicals in tobacco smoke can cause cancer. ’ 

You can read more about tobacco products being harmful to cancer research UK here:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/whats-in-a-cigarette-0

Vaping, as mentioned, is a very new technology, and though it is a ‘safer’ alternative to smoking cigarettes, there may be risks that we simply do not know about yet.

Though if you’re looking to quit smoking and you’re struggling, then vaping may be a good bet for you. I found that vaping allowed me to smoke all day long, as I didn’t feel so much of a nicotine rush and needed more to keep me going. I would often find myself chuffing on the vape without realising! 

How can you quit vaping? 

If you’re vaping under the age of 18, it is important to speak to an adult or at least your doctor (if you’re aged over 16, you do not require a legal guardian to attend an appointment with you). A doctor will help you find good ways tailored to you to quit vaping. There are mixed opinions on the best way, and it may take you a few different approaches to find which works best for you. 

I went cold turkey and just quit vaping one day. I did go through withdrawal symptoms and cravings, but thankfully, I’m quite stubborn, so I pushed away any thoughts about vaping. But, I’m not advocating that method as it’s not the easiest way to quit and may cause people to feel bad about giving in to smoking whilst going ‘cold turkey’. 

There are some free stop-smoking services in the U.K. and various text or online resources to help those in the U.S for under 18s (as well as adults). Some products designed to quit smoking are for over-18s, such as medicines. 

Here are some resources to help: 

• U.K. Citizens or those living in the U.K. only: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/stop-smoking-support-services
• Teen.Smokefree.gov (US)
• SmokefreeTXT for Teens (US)
• quitSTART app (US)​