How to kick the vaping habit for good

The number of people vaping in the UK has risen to its highest rate in 2024, according to UK charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

Today, there are a recorded 5.6 million adults in Great Britain who use vapes, pointing to a 17% rate of growth year-on-year – a 7% increase on the previous year.

However, the number of young people vaping between the ages of 11 and 17-year-old appears to have dipped in 2024 to 18% from 20% in 2023.

Meanwhile, the percentage of the same age group experimenting with vaping has also reduced from 11.6% in 2023 to 9.5% this year.

The NHS does recommend using vapes as a tool to quit smoking traditional cigarettes – due to the reduction in chemicals ingested with cigarettes – but it’s important to note that there is still a lot we don’t know about their long-term health impacts.

“With increasing numbers of people taking up vaping, including previous non-smokers and young people, it’s important to be aware that vaping is not risk-free,” says Dr Katie Tryon, Vitality’s Director of Health Strategy.

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that not only is it highly addictive but it also causes unwanted side effects.”

Dr Katie Tryon, Director of Health Strategy, Vitality

“It’s becoming increasingly clear that not only is it highly addictive, but it also causes unwanted side effects.”

Some of these include:

Similarly, despite them not containing tobacco, vapes still contain nicotine, the toxic substance that is highly addictive in cigarettes.

Inhaling nicotine through a cigarette or a vape spikes your blood pressure and adrenaline, which increases the heart rate, meaning it can lead to a heart attack.

They also contain a concoction of other ingredients, such as propylene glycol and flavourings, as well as some carcinogens, according to researchers.

One study found formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both flammable chemicals, present in some e-cigarettes.

Chain reaction

While vaping does serve its purpose to help with quitting smoking, an issue pointed out by ASH is that those who use vapes to quit smoking, tend to carry on doing so.

The proportion of smokers who are current vapers has almost doubled from 17% to 32%, which equates to around 2.2 million people.

Some of the reasons cited by the charity for this continuation of using vapes is due to the flavours on offer across the market.

Fruit was the most popular vape, followed by menthol/mint and tobacco. A pattern that has shifted since 2016, when tobacco was the most popular flavour.

Meanwhile, single-use or disposable vapes have soared in popularity from almost 30% between 2021 and 2021.

What happens when you quit smoking | Magazine | Vitality

9 ways to a smoke-free life

If you have decided that you want to stop using a vape, the methods to do this are similar to those when stopping smoking cigarettes.

Depending on what you feel most comfortable with, you can either stop gradually or go cold turkey, it ultimately depends on your preference and how you feel most comfortable.

Once you’ve made the decision that you want to stop vaping, picking a quit date is the best way to start. Add it to your calendar and prepare yourself.

Inevitably, there will be moments along the way where you either feel a craving, or you have a slip-up; these are common, but the key is to remind yourself of why you’ve decided to stop and look at how far you have come.

Once you have taken the leap, be sure to follow these recommendations from the NHS to get your quitting journey on the road and, more importantly, make sure you stick to it.

Stick to stopping smoking

1. List your reasons to quit

2. Tell people you are quitting

3. If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked

4. Use stop smoking aids, such as Allen Carr’s stop smoking programme or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)

5. Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke

6. List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them

7. Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy

8. Exercise away the urge

9. Join an online support group

Related: Why vaping is not 'risk-free' and how to quit for good