4 Tips For Transitioning To E-Cigs
Research is finding that without any help or assistance, electronic cigarettes can show roughly a 50% success rate replacing conventional cigarettes for smokers. We believe that with the right plan and the right mindset, this success rate could be much higher. Here’s a few tips we believe should help.
Learn a little about the science. Inevitably, you’ll be more likely to give electronic cigarettes a chance if you know they can work and know exactly how much less harmful they are than smoking. Preliminary research shows they boast a far higher success rate than the 12% of most accepted cessation aids (gum, patches, etc). At the same time, it’s been suggested that switching to electronic cigarettes and never quitting could be less harmful that 2 months of smoking.
Educate yourself. When we hear about electronic cigarettes failing to work for smokers, we can often pinpoint failure to a lack of understanding about the market and the products. There are lots of electronic cigarette review sites, bloggers, and more (ourselves included). It can be a lot to take in. But if you know a little bit about what you’re getting into (namely, the difference between models and mods, and which you will likely work for you), you can dramatically improve the chances they’ll succeed. If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated electronic cigarette or vape shop in your area, the proprietors will often be more than happy educate you.
Associate the act. Similar to smoking, electronic cigarettes can fairly easily become associated with a given act or habit. This association is often with things like drinking, sports, work or work breaks, sex, and more. Part of the difficulty that comes with attempting to quit smoking is that these associations don’t easily go away. Simply picking up electronic cigarettes and using them whenever may work for some, but others might need to work to transition the associations they built with cigarettes over decades. Fortunately, many electronic cigarettes function similarly enough to conventional cigarettes to make transitioning fairly easy.
Don’t go solo. Transitioning away from conventional cigarettes does not need to be a solo act. Smoking is often very social. Using an electronic cigarette isn’t quite as unusual when you aren’t the only one doing it. A circle of electronic cigarette users can share experiences with one another, advocate use of their best products, flavors, and brands, and generally support each others’ efforts to transition.
Karla Lyle on November 7th, 2012 1:00 pm
I am a little surprised to hear that ecigs are only a 50% rate. I think with the right direction and if someone sincerely wants to quit and has the right equiptment, which I think is key, the rate would be much higher. I guess that 50% would probably account for people who just picked up a cheap crappy disposable or some other bad product that was probably over priced. I agree that with the right education ecigs success rate would probably be close to 100%. I smoked for 20 years and tried everything. Including an inhaled nicotine that also looked similar to cigarettes and vaping is the only thing that worked. I thought I was just destined to be a smoker for life. If vaping could help me quit smoking I think it could work for anyone.
Sabrina Mitchell on November 8th, 2012 6:10 am
My husband has quit smoking using mods and he says he will never go back. By the numbers here I guess and hope he is one of the 50% that succeed. But I do think the number would be higher with proper education and use of it.
Steve Mitchell on November 9th, 2012 7:06 am
When I started the e-cig way to quit smoking I went into it full bore without doing any research on it and I bought a model e-cig. It worked for a while and I even cut back a lot. After more and more research I found out about mods. and because the models were not fully working I tried the mods instead. This time I researched it and got all the info I could at the time. Since I got my mod I have not smoked. One important thing to remember is to quit when you are ready not when others say you are or just because you think you should. You have to want to quit.
John on November 11th, 2012 11:56 am
I agree with Karla.. seems like the success rate is better… but I guess that’s just the online community
Mike on November 13th, 2012 11:43 am
Had I had more information, like I found here later on, as well as better gear, that first week wouldnt have sucked so bad.
chad on November 26th, 2012 7:37 pm
Im glad i quit smoking before i started vaping.
MorrinB on November 30th, 2012 10:14 pm
It’s hard to believe the success rate is so low. I started vaping and quit smoking on the same day and haven’t looked back. I haven’t even had the slightest craving for a real cigarette in months now. Guess I started with the right device!
Adam on January 6th, 2013 3:41 pm
I admit- I still smoke a regular cigarette or two a day. I am using a 12mg nicotine flavor; so maybe I need to bump up to 18?
crystalT64 on March 22nd, 2013 12:27 am
i definitely believe that having “vape” people around you makes all the difference. i only socialize with vapers via ECA but they have helped me transition with both education , support and just plain friendship.
Sandy on March 22nd, 2013 1:43 am
What is mods? And other brands you like.
I have Blu, would like a lower grade but the website show them. but don’t sell.
curlypeggy on March 25th, 2013 12:03 am
I think that it was easier to transition over to ecigs because both my husband and I did it at the same time. It helps to have someone going through the process.
RCO67 on April 5th, 2013 4:38 am
I think a big portion of the fifty percent that ecigs don’t work for are those that have no support network and/or do not do online research.
Mike C on April 10th, 2013 9:45 pm
Just curious – does “smoke” from e-cigs set off smoke detectors?
Tsull on April 21st, 2013 1:22 pm
I am on my way.. Have cut down from 25 cigs a day to about 2-3 pretty easily. I think there are a few associations that have been hard to completely switch over… especially drinking. But I think with a little more mind power I can completely transition.
Michael Troester on May 7th, 2013 4:52 pm
I have successfully applied these steps to both myself and my mother. An internal 100% success rate