THE NEW YORK TIMES – The nicotine in vapes can be highly addictive, and can raise blood sugar, heart rate and blood pressure, among other health risks.
And while some people turn to vaping to stop smoking cigarettes, e-cigarettes can contain substances that also pose health risks …
Despite the popularity of vapes — more than 8 million Americans were current e-cigarette users in 2018, according to federal health data — there is little established guidance to help people quit. Many of the recommendations that do exist come from tobacco cessation efforts, not research into vaping specifically.
“The health care system hasn’t caught up completely,” said Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, a psychiatry professor at the Yale University School of Medicine who studies adolescent tobacco use.
Often, doctors said, patients do not realize they are growing dependent on their vapes, and are deeply addicted by the time they even consider quitting.
How to stop vaping
Make a plan.
Part of planning to quit involves figuring out your triggers: what motivates you to vape, and what people or settings you need to avoid as you wean yourself off the nicotine.
“The more you understand yourself, the more you can prepare,” said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, the director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Some people choose to quit cold turkey, but experts say others might have more success if they gradually reduce how much they vape over several weeks. It can help to set a quit date, or a deadline to fully give up vaping.
Brace for withdrawal symptoms.
Those who are dependent on nicotine may experience withdrawal when they quit. They can feel anxious, nauseated and shaky, said Dr. Krishnan-Sarin. “It’s almost like the system is rebalancing itself,” she said.
These symptoms are typically most intense in the first three days and then usually fade over time.
People struggling with withdrawal symptoms can manage them in the moment. Keeping water, gum and snacks on hand can help ease the oral fixation people experience when they feel the need to vape.
Get help.
The national quitting help line can provide tips and encouragement, as can texting services like the National Texting Portal, This is Quitting, My Life My Quit and SmokefreeTXT. Quit the Hit, a five-week program that uses group direct messages on Instagram, can also help support people quitting vaping.
