Key takeaways
- Nicotine, a persistent craving that vaping tackles.
- Seek guidance, use vaping to quit smoking.
- Controlled nicotine doses ease withdrawal symptoms effectively.
- Replace old habits with harm-free NVPs.
- In Australia, legal NVPs available only at pharmacies.
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that is notoriously difficult to eliminate from the body. It’s the main reason why even people who have quit smoking for a year or more still struggle with sudden urges to light a cigarette.
Fortunately, vaping can be a useful tool for quitting smoking when used under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
Nicotine vaping products (NVPs) are designed to ease withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, and depression, as well as help control intense cigarette cravings.
Much like nicotine patches, regulated NVPs provide your body with carefully measured doses of nicotine, allowing you to gradually wean off dependence.
Chat to a prescriber
Bulk-billed phone consultations
TGA-authorised clinicians
Nicotine vaping scripts available
Additionally, NVPs help break the psychological side of smoking by replacing the familiar hand-to-mouth motion and the social or habitual triggers tied to cigarettes.
In this article, we’ll explore how vaping works as a tool for reducing or quitting smoking — and how to use it effectively to reach a smoke-free life.
What the Research Shows
Studies have consistently found vaping to be an effective quit-smoking aid when paired with a structured smoking cessation program guided by a GP or healthcare professional.
In fact, research from 2019 shows that a large number of smokers who used NVPs as part of their quit strategy were successful in giving up cigarettes altogether.
How Vaping Helps Reduce Nicotine Dependence
How Nicotine Vaping Works
Nicotine vaping products deliver small, controlled amounts of nicotine to the body — but without exposing you to the harmful chemicals present in cigarette smoke.
Pharmacy-grade NVPs are particularly useful if previous nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) methods, such as patches or gum, have failed to work for you.
According to the latest Cochrane Review, there is high-certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional NRT in helping people quit.
Supporting You Through the Quit Timeline
The first 2 to 4 weeks after quitting are the hardest, with withdrawal symptoms and cravings typically peaking during this period. Many people try to quit cold turkey, but NVPs can significantly reduce these intense symptoms and make the transition smoother.
When combined with emotional support from family, friends, and professional programs, vaping can be an effective stepping stone toward becoming nicotine-free for good.
Many people relapse during the first few weeks of quitting. This is where NVPs can come in, and your GP may prescribe NVPs as a second-line means to help you stop smoking for good.
Habit Replacement
Existing habits can strongly trigger your nicotine dependence. In short, your cravings can be triggered by various actions and situations, such as taking a break from work, or having drinks with friends. NVPs intend to replace cigarettes during these habits.
Most people are easily tempted by holding a pack of cigarettes or being offered one. But, many triggers are also situational.
Love smoking with your coffee in the morning? You can replace cigarettes with NVPs that mimic the actions and feelings of smoking, but without the harms associated with inhaling cigarette smoke.
Changing your old habits also immensely helps. Wondering why your GP recommends exercising, attending community meetings, and finding a new hobby? It’s to make your mind busy enough that you forget about smoking.
Works Well With a Smoking Cessation Programme
During the start of a smoking cessation programme, the main goal is to stop you from smoking right away and remove the dangers of cigarette smoke.
NVPs supply small nicotine doses to your body to keep you from lighting a cigarette when you crave it or feel irritable and anxious without one.
NVPs from pharmacies may give you the best chance of pulling through and proceeding through the entire smoking cessation programme.
Quitting Smoking with Vaping in Australia
In May 2023, the Australian government banned the sale of single-use, disposable devices and other vaping products sold in corner shops, groceries, and other non-pharmacy outlets. Today, you can only purchase NVPs legally through pharmacies.
For those smokers out there who are sceptical or perhaps uncertain about their options to quit smoking, this presents an opportunity to discuss options with a trusted healthcare professional and lead yourself to a path of smoking cessation.
For those smokers who have tried to quit by going ‘cold turkey’ or by using patches and gums and are still smoking, vaping may be an option to consider.
How to Quit Cigarettes With Vaping Products
You’re probably reading this because you want to learn about the role of vaping or NVPs in reducing your dependence on nicotine and its proper use. Here are the steps to do so.
Consult a GP
Think of your GP as a guide during a hike. They know the path and have guided others through the entire journey. GPs can create a tailor-made smoking cessation programme based on your consumption and needs.
Only Use Prescribed Pharmacy NVPs
Pharmacy NVPs differ greatly from the illegal ones found online and in corner stores and tobacconists. They are tested for inhalation safety, are locally insured and are made under the most stringent medical requirements to meet a quitter’s needs.
Illicit NVPs sold online and in shops may contain high levels of nicotine and dangerous chemicals. Even if their label says they’re nicotine-free, they may still contain it.
With medical NVPs, smokers can have confidence they are using a product made under stringent pharmaceutical standards on the manufacturing process and ingredients, are toxicologically assessed for inhalation, are locally insured, and are specifically designed to help them stop smoking.
Stay Motivated
It always comes down to your motivation. Remember that NVPs are just tools. Without plans and goals, even NVPs might not be enough to help you quit.
Stay motivated by finding a new hobby, exercising and keeping healthy, and having regular check-ins with your GP to monitor your progress.
We know you’re here because you want to use vaping to stop smoking the right way. You’re definitely in the best place to get started.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.