Vaping is becoming ever more widespread across the globe. There are e-cigarettes and vape mods of every shape, size, colour and description, available in stores all over the world, and their use is skyrocketing. While some observers have watched the trend with growing alarm, declaring vaping a problem, others have concluded that vaping might be the most viable way to end the longstanding public health crisis connected to traditional tobacco products.
As it turns out, there’s plenty of data to back up the fact that vaping can be an effective tool for smokers looking to kick the habit. For the uninitiated, though, it can be difficult to decide what type of vaping device offers them the best chance to finally break away from their old habits. While the options may seem complicated, the answer isn’t: just keep it simple. Here’s why.
A Familiar Experience
As any smoker can tell you, quitting isn’t easy. What many who try don’t realize, however, is that overcoming their chemical addiction is only half the battle. The other, sometimes more powerful part of their addiction has nothing to do with the chemicals their body has become dependent on, and everything to do with the physical habit of smoking. Studies have shown that even seeing a picture of a cigarette or a related item can be enough to trigger a conditioned response and induce cravings in the addicted.
Overcoming this negative conditioning is difficult, but not impossible. In the context of vaping, though, it provides a powerful argument that smokers trying to quit are best served by e-cigarettes designed to replicate the look and feel of traditional cigarettes rather than complex and unfamiliar-looking vape mods. In short, quitting will be easier if you’re not simultaneously trying to undo the tactile and visual stimuli that reinforce your desire to smoke in the first place.
Nicotine Dose Replacement
While it is true that the physical and mental aspect of a smoker’s addiction is often the most difficult part to overcome, the habit is, of course, reinforced by a chemical addiction within the body. An average traditional cigarette contains between one and two milligrams of nicotine, and each one yields about 0.1mg of absorption into the bloodstream of the smoker. That tiny amount of nicotine absorption is enough to trigger a chemical addiction, causing the body to crave regular doses via additional cigarettes.
Vaping, by contrast, makes use of e-liquids that contain far less nicotine to produce the same absorption rate. Not all vaping options are created equal here, either. A high-power vape mod will typically use e-liquid with a 3mg/ml to 6mg/ml nicotine concentration to produce the required 0.1mg absorption rate. A lower-power e-cigarette, by contrast, will use e-liquid with a 12mg/ml to 18mg/ml concentration of nicotine to create the same 0.1mg absorption rate. On the surface, it would seem that the vape mods are a far more efficient nicotine delivery vehicle, but they’re hiding a fatal flaw – they require as much as five times the amount of e-liquid per puff – making e-cigarettes the clear favorite again for smokers trying to replace traditional cigarettes. Even the best vape pen options beat the high-power mods for delivery efficiency.
Making the Switch
For any smoker that is exploring vaping as a means of transitioning away from traditional cigarettes and eventually quitting altogether, the conclusion couldn’t be more clear. E-cigarettes are the way to go compared to larger, more complex vape mods. As a smoking cessation method, they provide the correct physical replacement characteristics to satisfy the behavioral habits of smokers and cost less to use, owing to their relative efficiency as a nicotine delivery platform. The bottom line is, your vaping option should look like a cigarette, taste like a cigarette, and act like a cigarette – and you’ll have a much easier time ditching the real thing once and for all.
