4 Things To Think About If You Want To Quit Vaping
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Vaping has often been used to help long-time smokers quit their nicotine habit- but what if then you can't quit vaping?
E-cigarettes, while having the potential to benefit adult smokers, are not safe for children, young adults, pregnant women or adults who don't use tobacco products, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Adult smokers can benefit if used as a complete substitute for regular cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products, the CDC adds.
However, youth vaping has become a rising trend in the United States, with more than 2 million middle and high school students using the products.
The National Cancer Institute's Tobacco Control Research runs SmokeFree.gov and has laid out some tips and plans to become totally smoke-free, deal with vaping cravings and more.
Get Off The Tobacco Train- Completely
People who vape sometimes also use cigarettes or other tobacco products. If you want to quit vaping- USDH says its also the best time to quit it all cold turkey.
Choose A Quit Date
The department says you have to prep your quit date and try to not pick a day before a stressful event so you can focus on the task at hand.
They also recommend not picking a day too far away- no more than a week or two away.
When you pick it, put it on your calendar or set an alert on your phone, make it visible so you know it's coming.
I've Quit- Now What?
The department recommends avoiding triggers, i.e., certain things, people or situations can cause you to vape, the department warns, and it could be best to avoid situations where you might feel the need to vape while you're trying to quit early on.
This could include staying away from people who vape, or make a plan for how you are going to handle the situation if it comes up, they say.
They added that those trying to stay away from vaping should "image your vape-free self" and picture the "future you", which as corny as it may seem might give a mental image of a vape-free life.
Talk To A Professional
A doctor or another health care professional could be beneficial to creating a plan to quit vaping, the department said. Or even talking to a tobacco cessation counselor.
They recommend calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or 1-877-44U-QUIT to talk with a tobacco cessation counselor. You can also chat online using the National Cancer Institute's LiveHelp service.