Treat the hand habit and the nicotine separately
Quitting a vape means two grips: the nicotine and the hand-to-mouth habit. Give each its own plan, and know when to ask a doctor or a quitline.
From people's advice and experience about quitting vaping, shared online. The withdrawal symptoms, step-down options, quitline and warning signs were added from the NHS and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You reach for it without deciding to: at a red light, after a meal, when a message makes you tense. Quitting means dealing with two things that are holding on at once. One is the nicotine your body has got used to. The other is the habit of the hand and the mouth, which some people say was what they actually missed.
If you want to quit vaping, treat the nicotine and the hand-and-mouth habit as two separate problems and give each its own plan: a way to step the nicotine down or replace it, and something else for your hands and mouth.
This page is for an adult who vapes and wants to stop. If you vape to stay off cigarettes, if you are pregnant or under 18, or if you do not vape yet, the last section is for you.
The nicotine side
The NHS lists what withdrawal can feel like: strong cravings, irritability or low mood, trouble concentrating, feeling hungrier than usual and difficulty sleeping. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says quitting vaping is likely similar to quitting smoking, because both involve nicotine dependence, and that you should talk to a health care provider about tools and medicines that can help.
For a gradual quit, the NHS gives three steps: lower the nicotine strength over time, paying attention to how you feel; lengthen the time between vapes; and pick places or times where you will not vape, then widen them. For stopping at once, it says to ask a pharmacist or a stop smoking adviser about nicotine replacement. Some people suggest patches or gum for the strong urges. Others step down by choosing weaker liquid, a flavour they like less, or making the device inconvenient to reach. One person suggests using gum on a schedule rather than waiting for a craving, because it works more slowly than a vape does; a pharmacist can tell you how to use it.
Some people warn that disposables and pod devices carry a high dose of nicotine, which can make cutting down harder. One person warns that you may get stuck at a low strength and struggle to go lower. The US CDC also lists a free quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW, and in the UK a local stop smoking adviser or pharmacist can help.
Some people say cold turkey is the only thing that worked for them, because gradual cuts turned into excuses; others found stopping outright too hard. One person warns that going cold turkey can be too difficult, or even dangerous, for some people because of how strongly they react emotionally. If your mood drops low, the number at the top of this page comes first.
The hand-and-mouth side
Some people say what they were hooked on was the action, not the nicotine, and that replacing the motion was what let them stop. Some people replace it with something they can hold and chew: gum, a straw, a cinnamon stick, or a piece of silicone. One person describes a TV remote. Pick something big enough that you cannot swallow it by accident. People raise objections. Some people warn that a remote can carry germs, and say to wipe it, and to wash it if it is yours. Some people worry that sucking on plastic may mean swallowing microplastics, while some people answer that it is a smaller concern than carrying on vaping. This page does not cover how well any of these tricks works over the long term, so treat them as a way through the first weeks.
Some people say a zero-nicotine vape helps by giving the motion without the nicotine. Others say it fails because it does not give the same throat hit, so the urge stays and they go back. This page does not take a side; a stop smoking adviser can tell you whether it fits your plan.
One person suggests sour sweets to break a craving; one says a drink of water interrupts the reach for the vape.
Make it inconvenient, and make it a plan
Some people say to keep the vape where it is hard to get to: the top of a counter, the back seat, not on your body. One person suggests cutting the number of puffs a day or delaying the timing, to loosen the link between an activity and a vape. Some people say a craving is brief, often gone in fifteen to twenty minutes, and that you can wait one out by doing something else, such as reading, a game, going outside or a glass of water.
One person suggests keeping a last device and refusing to open it, as a reminder that you can use it and are choosing not to; another says to throw away all the equipment, so that there is nothing to negotiate with. This page does not pick between them.
People, places and drink
Some people say having a partner, friend or online group who is quitting or supportive helps in the early weeks. Some people say being around others who smoke or vape is a big trigger for a slip, and that it helped to commit to refusing even then. One person warns that seeing family or friends vape makes quitting harder, and one that alcohol brings a ‘forget it’ mood, and says to avoid it while quitting. Some people change the sentence they say about themselves from ‘I’m trying to quit’ to ‘I’m not a vaper’, and say it makes refusing easier.
Some people warn about swapping nicotine for another substance to get through it, because it can start a new dependence. One person warns that mood changes can strain relationships and lead to a slip; another that withdrawal can bring extreme anger, not only brain fog.
When quitting does not feel like it changes much
Some people say they noticed nothing physical after quitting, unlike with cigarettes, and that is not a sign it was pointless. Another person felt much better. Some people say they quit after noticing a body signal: a higher resting heart rate, less stamina or less lung capacity. If you have chest pain, shortness of breath or a worsening cough, see a doctor right away, as the CDC advises for symptoms like these in people who vape.
Who this page is not for
If you vape to stay off cigarettes, this page is not the whole answer. The NHS offers vaping as a way to leave cigarettes, and says to aim to stop vaping eventually once you are confident you will not go back to smoking, and that going back to vaping is much better than starting to smoke again. The CDC says the US Food and Drug Administration has approved seven medicines to help people quit smoking but has not approved any e-cigarette product for that. Whichever applies where you live, a pharmacist, doctor or stop smoking adviser can help you plan.
If you are pregnant, talk to a midwife or doctor before choosing anything to use; the NHS says licensed nicotine replacement is the preferred option over a vape.
If you are under 18, the NHS says children should never vape. The US government has resources made for teens who vape, including text-message support, and in any country a doctor or a trusted adult can help.
If you do not vape, the NHS says non-smokers and young people should not start.
If low mood or hopelessness is the bigger problem, 988 in the US or Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK are open at any hour, and in an emergency, 911 or 999.
Common questions
Should I cut down slowly or stop all at once?
The NHS gives both routes: lower the nicotine strength over time while paying attention to how you feel, lengthen the gaps between vapes, and pick places or times you will not vape; or, for stopping at once, ask a pharmacist or stop smoking adviser about nicotine replacement. People split too. Some people say cutting down never worked for them and only stopping outright did. Some people find stopping outright too intense and step down instead, and some find tapering too slow. This page does not pick for you. The NHS also says it is okay if it takes a few tries.
Is nicotine gum or a patch just swapping one addiction for another?
Some people raise that worry. Some people answer that replacement products are made to take the edge off withdrawal and are easier to come off than a vape; another view is that replacement can keep you wanting the vape itself. One person warns that gum can become a habit of its own, and one that switching to another nicotine product is not a full break from the dependence. The NHS says to ask a pharmacist or stop smoking adviser about replacement, and that patches can be used alongside a vape if you need to. Ask them how to use any product, and for how long.
How long do cravings last?
It varies, so this page prints no figure as fact. Some people say a craving is brief and often fades within fifteen to twenty minutes if you do something else meanwhile, such as reading, a game, going outside or a glass of water. One person says the sharpest stretch of withdrawal lasted about a week, with irritability and trouble sleeping. One person warns that cravings can come back for months, especially with alcohol or stress. One person says exercise helps brain fog, but only after a month or two. If it feels like more than you can manage, tell a doctor.
What if I slip?
The NHS says it is okay if it takes a few tries to quit for good, and, for people who started vaping to stay off cigarettes, that going back to vaping is much better than starting to smoke again. One person warns that telling yourself 'one more time' is how it starts again, because the old pathways are still there, and another that using nicotine again only sets up another round of withdrawal. One person says that treating a slip as a temporary failure, and not a permanent defeat, is what keeps you going.
Will I feel better when I stop?
People disagree. Some people say they noticed no change in how they felt, unlike with quitting cigarettes. Another person says they felt much better and healthier after cutting down or stopping. Some people say a body signal, such as a higher resting heart rate, less stamina or less lung capacity, was what pushed them to quit. If you have those, or chest pain or breathlessness, tell a doctor.
Questions this step helps with
Same situation, another step
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- Set the loss before you go, and ban yourself if it breaksQuitting something
Who can help
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Free, confidential support from a trained counselor, any time.
Full tip: https://findangel.org/tips/treat-the-hand-habit-and-the-nicotine-separately/ · FindAngel.org — free, always.