What is Stoptober?
In 2012 an annual campaign called Stoptober was started by Public Health England and supported by the NHS to help people stop smoking. The aim of Stoptober is to encourage smokers to stop smoking for 28 days during the month of October, with the view that those who can abstain from smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stop smoking for good. They offer a wide range of support initiatives and resources to help motivate people to finally give up smoking permanently.
Reasons to Quit
The latest figures from Cancer Research UK show that as of July 2021 14.1 of the adult population in the UK are smokers. According to Cancer Research UK smoking is the largest cause of cancer in the UK contributing to 15% of all cases. Tobacco is also the largest preventable cause of cancer in the UK, with lung cancer being the most widespread among all types of preventable cancers.
While stopping smoking can be difficult and daunting it helps to look forward to the benefits, which are numerous and include immediate and long term improvements not only to your physical well being, but also to your finances.
When you stop smoking your body will begin the process of healing itself. Your heart rate begins to return to normal just 20 minutes after stubbing out your last cigarette.
After 8 hours the oxygen levels in your blood will begin recovering and carbon-monoxide will start being removed from your body.
The first three days are going to be the toughest as this is when cravings are at their peak, but if you can push through this, by day three your body will have removed all traces of carbon monoxide. You may notice yourself coughing more than usual as your lungs begin to clear themselves out, but the payoff is that you should start to notice that you are breathing more easily and that physical exertion is less of a strain.
You may even begin to notice an improvement in your sense of smell and taste. And you won’t smell – always a bonus! That is a lot of improvement in less than a week.
By day 28 the risk of heart attack is starting to decline and you should find that craving related anxiety is no longer a problem. And it keeps getting better from there.
While the focus for stopping smoking is mainly around health, the amount of money a smoker spends on tobacco cannot be understated. It is an especially salient point considering the current state of the UK economy. And knowing how much money you are saving by not smoking can be a great motivation, along with the health benefits, to keep you going through the difficult early days.
Just to give you an idea, the average cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes in the UK is £12.71. If you take into account that a typical smoker in the UK will go through 10 cigarettes a day, you’re looking at a saving of over £40 in the first week alone. Forget worrying about cancelling your streaming services to save money, when you stop smoking you could have them all! Yearly that works out to a saving of £2,319.57. To put that into perspective, it’s nearly the amount that Liz Truss capped the average housing energy bill at – £2500.
Make the Switch
Here is some more good news; you don’t have to do it alone as there are a plethora of cessation aids available out there that can make stopping a lot easier for you. If you think about it, your main aim is to stop smoking for good i.e, constantly inhaling burnt tobacco which contains thousands of harmful chemicals – it’s the nicotine you are hooked to – and if going cold turkey seems too much, then all you really need to do is find a safer way to get your fix. And nowadays you are spoilt for choice for options that are far safer and much cheaper than tobacco.
Although nicotine addiction is the predominant factor here. Many smokers enjoy the act of smoking itself and see it as complementary to other experiences we enjoy. Smoking becomes an integral part of our lives, a morning coffee or post meal ritual, even just an excuse to get you out of the office for five minutes. Puffing on something and feeling that throat hit can be something that is missed as a genuinely enjoyable activity.
Well it’s 2022 – innovative technology is here to help – and one of the most effective tools available is vaping. Much misrepresented over the years, the official verdict is in and vaping is now recognised by Public Health England as being 95% less harmful than smoking and is also actively promoted by the NHS as part of their stop smoking initiative. A recent survey by King’s College London of 400 studies found that vaping posed a “small fraction of the risks” associated with smoking.
Vaping also costs about a third as much as smoking according to the NHS, ticking the boxes of both health and cost savings.
The truth is; if you’re addicted to nicotine; smoking is the most dangerous and expensive way of getting it into your body. Why not use a far safer and cheaper way to do so?
Which Vape Kits And E-Liquids Are Best For New Vapers?
The industry has come a long way in the last 15 years and the options available are numerous with much of the design centred around discretion and ease of use. Disposable and pod vape kits lead the market and have very little if no learning curve.
We’ve curated a list of devices we feel are not only industry leaders but also tried and tested kits that we former smokers here at Vape Superstore use every day.
The Caliburn series of beginner friendly pod kits are famed for their ease of use and great flavour production while being discreet and economical and we all have one here at Vape Superstore. The Caliburn X is the latest iteration and if you are looking to replicate the sensation of smoking a cigarette then this is the kit for you.
The kit can be operated via a fire button, which turns the device on and off and you can also simply puff on the device to start vaping. A straightforward display screen will allow you to adjust how much power you wish to use and this will affect the warmth of your vape and the quantity of vapour produced. You can further adjust how much vapour you want by sliding the control air valve for a tighter or looser draw.
A perfect kit for nicotine salt e-liquids and 50:50 freebase e-liquids, which offer great flavour and higher nicotine strength options and are recommended for new vapers. To refill the 2ml capacity pod you lift off the mouthpiece and squeeze your liquid in. Supplied in the box is a 0.8ohm coil, which will give a warmer, slightly airier vape and a 1.2ohm coil which will offer a more restricted cigarette like feel. (Please see our guide on coils for more information on this) A Micro USB Type-C cable is provided to charge the device and you’ll know how much battery you have left via the display screen.
The Luxe X Vape Kit offers both mouth to lung (cigarette like) and direct to lung (bigger clouds) styles of vaping. A 1500mAh battery and a 40W power output make this a versatile and very easy to use pod kit, great for first time switchers who wish to experiment a bit further. The flavour on this device is really impressive.
The 0.8ohm built-in mesh pod is refilled by lifting a silicone stopper on the bottom of the pod. This pod is perfect for nicotine salt and 50:50 freebase e-liquids and will produce an airy cigarette like vape. A 0.4ohm built in mesh pod will allow you to use higher VG e-liquids and will open you up to a world of flavours while producing a good deal more vapour. You can adjust the airflow for a tighter or looser draw by simply turning the pod around. The intelligent chip will set the power level for you based on the pod you insert and to activate just press the single fire button which also turns the device on and off.
Tried and true, the PockeX kit from Aspire has been a firm favourite amongst the vaping community for years now and for good reason. It’s a simple to use vape kit that offers satisfying flavour and has a wide range of coil options too. You’ll get a wattage output range of 18-23W which will provide you with the option to customise your vape flavour. The PockeX pen comes with 0.6ohm and 1.2ohm coils giving you the option to choose between direct to lung and mouth to lung vaping styles. The PockeX also comes with a standard 2ml tank capacity with a top refill system to easily fill with your favourite vape juices. Aspire’s PockeX Pen kit has a single button for turning the device on and off as well as firing the battery. The PockeX Pen comes housed with a 1500mAh battery to provide you with hours upon hours of vape time. We recommend using the PockeX with high VG with the 0.6ohm coil and 50-50 e-liquids with the 1.2ohm coil.
The Whirl 2S Pod Kit from Uwell is a perfect on the go vape pen for first time switchers. It is easy to use and its compact pen-like design will fit comfortably in your hand and can be discreetly tucked away in a bag or a pocket without getting in the way.
The device has a powerful 900mAh battery that will keep you on the go all day and is supplied with a Type-C charging cable that will have you up and running in no time. A 1.2ohm Whirl 2S coil is pushed into the base of the pod and will provide a tight draw reminiscent of a cigarette. The 0.8ohm coil will offer slightly airier and warmer vapour production. Best used with nic salt and 50:50 e-liquids, which provide good flavour and a satisfying throat hit and to refill you just remove the pod and lift the bottom slider. You can rotate the pod to adjust your airflow and simply press the fire button to vape.
The most hassle free and immediate way to switch to vaping is to use disposable vapes. As the name would suggest, disposable vape pens are ready to go straight out the box with no previous knowledge or experience required, you just puff on them and dispose of them responsibly when you are done. Roughly equal to around 40 cigarettes per device, they are a good place to start to get you off cigarettes and you can switch to the more cost effective method of using your own vape kit and e-liquids once you’ve made the break.
The Geekbar E600 comes filled with 2ml of 20mg nicotine salt e-liquid and will provide you with approximately 600 puffs per device. Its high nicotine dosing makes this disposable kit suitable for heavy smokers who smoke a pack (20 cigarettes) a day. The device is pre-charged with a non-rechargeable battery and you can choose from a variety of different fruit flavours to suit every taste.
The Lost Mary BM600 vape is a compact disposable showcasing a discreet bottle shaped design that can easily be concealed in the palm of your hand. The device is pre-filled with 2ml of 20mg nicotine salts to satisfy those heavy cravings. A pre-charged 550mAh battery and about 600 puffs will keep you going on a night out. You can choose from 24 high quality fruit and menthol flavours and again, to use simply inhale.
Other Types Of Quitting Smoking Aids
The IQOS 3 Duo Starter Kit is an electronic device that uses HEETS, which are specially designed tobacco sticks. The kit heats tobacco without burning it, giving you the true taste of tobacco with no smoke, ash, or odour. Tailored specifically for smokers looking to quit, the IQOS Duo 3 delivers one of the closest alternative smoking experiences on the market.
The Duo 3 starter kit has a compact and ergonomic design and the full range of IQOS HEETS sticks come in a choice of 10 flavours. To use your device, simply insert a HEET stick into the top section of the holder; the tobacco stick will then come into contact with a ceramic-coated blade. Once you press the button on the device, it will then begin heating the blade, which will be represented by flashing lights; once heated, the light will glow solidly. At this point you can then inhale on the filter of your HEETS stick, just like you would a cigarette. When the experience is over, remove the used stick and discard it.
The Duo 3 is IQOS’s most advanced device to date, offering two consecutive uses without the need to recharge between HEETS.
The built in LED light status will give you easy battery life status so you know exactly how long you have left before recharging the device. The IQOS pocket charger has a built-in 2900mAh battery, and will provide enough charge for approximately one packet of HEETS (20 individual sticks). When charging is required, simply connect the supplied Type-C USB cable to the charging port.
Nicotine Pouches
Flavour-infused nicotine pouches are designed to be placed between the gums and lips, releasing nicotine directly into the bloodstream through the gums. These white nicotine pouches, a tobacco-free version of snus, provide complete satisfaction without the need for spitting or staining teeth. These can offer another discreet alternative way to get your nicotine fix.
Patches, Gum and Sprays
Nicotine patches, gum and sprays have been around for decades and are designed to help people with the nicotine withdrawal and cravings they experience when stopping smoking. They come in a variety of strengths and durations, depending on your cigarette use. Patches are applied by placing a single patch to a clean, dry area of skin. The patch releases nicotine into the bloodstream through absorption via the skin.
Nicotine gum comes in a variety of different strengths and works by releasing nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining of the mouth while you chew the gum. The gum is designed to be used whenever you have a craving and the NHS advises people to not chew the gum for more than 30 minutes.
Nasal and mouth sprays are pump action spray bottles that release nicotine into the bloodstream via the lining of the nose or mouth, also to be used when experiencing cravings. In the UK you can buy these quitting aids from your local pharmacy or through consultation with your doctor.
Sources
Stoptober – NHS
Prevention Data Hub – Cancer UK Intelligence
Tobacco Statistics – Cancer Research UK
UK may already be in recession – Bank of England – BBC News
RPI: Ave price – Cigarettes 20 king size filter – ons.gov.uk
Smoking Health Survey – NHS
Energy bills to be capped at £2,500 for typical household – BBC News
Public Health England maintains vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking – The Guardian
Vaping to quit smoking – NHS
Switch from smoking to vaping cuts health risks substantially, report finds – The Guardian
Nicotine Replacement Therapy – NHS
www.vapesuperstore.co.uk contains general information about vaping and vapour products. The information provided is not medical advice, and should not be relied upon unless explicitly cited. We do not make any warranties surrounding the health benefits, reliability and accuracy of written copy across all pages on our website, including blog content and content posted on social media.