28 Days of Stoptober

If you want to make your quit attempt during Stoptober, it’s worth doing a little reading and preparation before the 1st of October swings around. First of all - if you’re feeling any sense of trepidation about using vaping to quit smoking, we’ve done a whole guide dedicated to quitting with vaping. The key parts you need to know are what kind of kit to use and what sort of nicotine strength you’ll need. When it comes to nicotine, you’ll fall into one of two camps - freebase nicotine or nicotine salts.

Freebase nicotine is the traditional option which has a stronger “throat hit” when used at higher concentrations. Nicotine salts can be used at a higher strength without feeling as scratchy on the inhale and are also absorbed more quickly. Generally speaking, we’d recommend freebase nicotine in a 3mg or 6mg for social and light smokers, a 12mg in freebase or 10mg nic salt for moderate smokers and a 20mg nic salt for heavy (pack a day) smokers.

If you’re not sure which one will be in the right ballpark for you, we’ve also written a whole guide on choosing your nicotine strength too. One of the best parts about vaping over smoking is the huge variety of flavours you can choose from. While there are plenty of tobacco and menthol flavours, fruit is an incredibly popular choice too - even amongst transitioning smokers.

The other thing to look at, of course, is your vape kit. We’d recommend something like a pod kit or vape pen - they’re low maintenance options that still give a satisfying nic hit to keep cravings at bay. All you need to do is fill the tank (or pod) up, charge the battery and you’re ready to vape. Some pod kits come with pre-filled pods so all you need to do is click one into place and vape it until it’s empty. When it runs out, just pop a new into place.

One final thing we’d recommend before the 1st of October - get rid of any tobacco or cigarettes you have left. In the same way it’s easier to avoid junk food when it isn’t in the house, it’s less tempting to smoke when there aren’t any cigarettes to hand.

• Vape kit 
• E-liquid 
• Stoptober app
• Willpower
• Throw away or get rid of any remaining cigarettes and tobacco

If you had your last cigarette before you went to bed on the 30th of September and got a full 8 hours, your body is already detoxing. 8 hours is really all it takes to get started. Carbon monoxide levels in your body will drop by half and the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream will go back to normal⁽¹⁾. You’ll also be starting to feel that nicotine craving as your nicotine levels drop too so having your e-cig ready before day 1 will make this transition easier.

After just 48 hours of no smoking, all the carbon monoxide will have left your body. Your lungs will also start to clear out too and as they remove debris you may find you get more of a cough⁽¹⁾. You’ll also start to be able to smell and taste things better by this point so treating yourself to your favourite takeaway could be the perfect reward for making it past the 48 hour mark.

If you’ve gone cold turkey, this is typically the day most people struggle with most. If you’re using a vape to help you quit, make sure it’s charged up and you have plenty of e-liquid. On the plus side: your lungs are probably going to be feeling pretty good by this point and breathing should start to become easier⁽¹⁾.

If you’re one week in, check your bank balance. Pack a day smokers will have saved around £70 by this point and even lighter smokers who get through an average of 10 cigarettes a day will have saved around £35.

After two weeks of no smoking, you’re doing great and are already halfway through Stoptober. You’ve also made it through the most difficult time, the “quitting danger zone” if you will. Your circulation will start to improve making exercise easier and more enjoyable again and your lungs will still be on their path to cleaning themselves out.

After a month of Stoptober, you’ve increased your chances of quitting for good by 5 times. You’ll have also improved your quality of life and saved yourself anywhere between £70 to £280 depending on how many cigarettes you were getting through a day.

1. What happens when you quit? - nhs.uk