In a groundbreaking new study out of New Zealand, research has revealed that the key to giving up smoking once and for all could be through switching to vaping.

In a recent study (performed in August 2020), researchers set out to understand how smokers view vaping and to test how successful making a switch to nicotine vaping would be in an effort to quit smoking for good. The study ran for four weeks.

The research team recruited 50 participants (both female and male) – from a pool of light (three to five cigarettes per day), medium (six to twenty cigarettes per day), and heavy smokers (more than twenty-one cigarettes per day).

At least 71% of the participants had tried to cut back on their consumption before the study, and 84% tried to stop smoking yet failed.

The majority of the participants (80%) had also tried using smoking cessation products such as patches, gums and sprays to help them quit, but these products also failed. 

Giving Up. Understanding the Difficulties

In the first phase of the study, researchers sought to understand some of the primary reasons smokers found it hard to break their habit.

While the reasons they uncovered are not necessarily surprising, it did provide extra insight into how a nicotine vape could take the place of the typical cigarette, thus enabling participants to quit for good.

• Physical and Psychological Factors Nicotine is an addictive substance. The longer you’ve had the habit, it’s physically harder to quit. While quitting, smokers go through physical, psychological, and even emotional withdrawal symptoms that can affect day-to-day life.
   
• Social Factors If you’re surrounded by friends and family members who smoke, the harder it is to stop. In fact, two of the most common reasons the research participants started smoking in the first place was because of friends and peer pressure.
  
  
• Convenient Nicotine, like alcohol, is a legal drug. You can buy it anywhere, and it gives instant gratification.
  
  
• A Relaxing Ritual When you’re under stress, lighting a cigarette takes your mind off of them for a little while. The ‘ritual’ of smoking a cigarette can provide a soothing release.

Prior to the commencement of the trial, it was understood that a vape device could address most of these issues, giving it the potential to make a real difference in the participants’ attempts to quit.

The Problem with Current ‘Quit Smoking’ Aids

As mentioned above, for many of the research participants, this was not their first attempt at trying to quit smoking. In fact, 84% reported they had tried to quit previously and had failed.

To uncover some of the difficulties participants faced, researchers questioned them to understand why their previous attempts were unsuccessful. Many cited the worrying side effects associated with traditional stop smoking aids:

 “Patches made me light-headed. Tablets gave me panic attacks. Gum gave me headaches. Plain normal peppermints worked for a while.”

However, some of the most interesting feedback coming from the study was from those who had tried vaping before as a method to quit. Many participants cited that because of the act of vaping is very similar to conventional smoking, there were added psychological and ritualistic benefits:

“It’s enough like smoking that I’m satisfied in terms of both nicotine cravings and also mentally satisfied.”

For many, vaping allowed them to partake in much of the social side of smoking, without the harmful side effects:

  “I used to vape in the past. It helped me to quit because it kept me with the smoking crew, with something to do.”

These comments provided some hope to researchers as they looked to understand whether these positive associations could be replicated across the rest of the participants.

An Introduction to PodVapes

During the course of the trial, participants were introduced to a pod vape device supplied by PodVapes.  Immediate reactions were positive, with many praising the sleek appearance of the devices, complimenting its ease of use and convenience. Many thought that the discrete appearance would allow them to use the device without attracting too much attention. Such attention could lead to added peer pressure or embarrassment, which could hinder their efforts to give up.

But how did the pod vape devices perform as a smoking replacement? 

Participants enjoyed the range of flavours offered, particularly the traditional tobacco flavour which many found did not carry the conventional image problem of typical vaping liquids. While this is the case, many participants had a positive experience with many of the flavoured e-liquids, and all welcomed the lack of the smell of cigarette smoke.

Helping to Cut Costs

The study did not only help to uncover the health benefits of making a switch, but also enabled participants to realise the genuine financial gains that could be achieved. At a third of the cost of a traditional pack of cigarettes, many saw switching to a nicotine pod vaping device as a viable and cost-effective alternative to smoking.

The majority of the participants spend anywhere between $3,500 and $13,000 on their nicotine habit yearly. This is a huge amount and one that could arguably be spent better elsewhere.

 According to one participant: 

“I wanted to quit because cigarettes are so bloody expensive and my wife doesn’t smoke, so we often have words about how much I spend on smoking.”

And he’s right. With the ever-increasing taxes levied on cigarettes, it’s an expensive habit to maintain. Vaping, on the other hand, is far cheaper than smoking. And the majority of the participants in the study acknowledged the financial benefits of making the switch. One pre-filled nicotine e-liquid pod that costing$10to one pack of cigarettes!.

Promising Results

Before the trial started, the average cigarettes consumed per day was 6.8. By the end of the trial, it was down to 2.4. By the end of the 30 day trial period,almost half of the participants (45%) smoked zero cigarettes. During the trial, 62% of the participants replaced smoking with vaping, and 48% stated that they would be switching to vaping even after the trial ended.

The participants also reported positive mental and physical effects after the trial. About 64% of them admitted to feeling much better mentally, while 55% stated they felt improved physical well-being.

Overall, the study clearly showed that vaping helped the participants either quit the habit or cut back on their tobacco consumption. The August 2020 study isn’t the only study on the subject of the effect of vaping on stop smoking attempts. Research coming from the UK has also shown that vaping helped smokers reduce their cigarette consumption.

Please also mention this study https://www.vapingpost.com/2020/11/02/study-1-in-5-smokers-manage-to-quit-6-months-after-purchasing-e-cigs/

Conclusion

The experience of the participants in the recent study was overwhelmingly positive. Many saw vaping as a realistic, viable, and healthier substitute to smoking. They also perceived the PodVapes brand as a reliable partner to assist them on their journey.

The results of the study showed that vaping has the potential to help smokers cut back on their cigarette consumption or even quit the habit entirely. Not only does it offer an equal ability to satisfy nicotine cravings but also carries the clear advantage of reducing the detrimental impact that smoking has on one's health and finances.

By looking into the history of previous failed attempts to quit smoking using patches, gums or sprays  the researchers understood the reasoning for failures as a complex combination of physical, social and psychological issues. It was demonstrated that most of these factors could be addressed with the use of a nicotine pod vaping device.

While more research is welcomed on the subject, this study shows promising results of nicotine pod vaping as an important tool to achieving a smoke-free future.