How Nicotine E-Liquid Helps Smokers Quit

Have you ever wondered why there’s nicotine in most e-liquids? Well, if you have, you’re probably not an experienced vaper but you may be a smoker who’s considering trying to quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes. In this guide, I’ll explain why nicotine is an important ingredient in e-liquid for smokers who are trying to quit smoking.

Why Nicotine In E-Liquid Is Important

Let me start off by saying that I used to smoke. Years of smoking certainly didn’t do me any good and after more unsuccessful quit attempts than I care to recollect, I eventually found vaping and the rest is history. One of the reasons why vaping worked for me as a quit tool is because the e-liquid that I used when I first started vaping contained nicotine, which is a big part of the addiction for tobacco smokers.

Electronic cigarettes, which are sometimes referred to as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), have the ability to deliver nicotine to their users through the vapor that users inhale. By providing nicotine to users, e-cigs allow smokers to get their nicotine fix without inhaling smoke.

For me, the nicotine in the vapor that I was inhaling when I first started vaping did exactly what I was hoping it would: it curbed my nicotine cravings and allowed me to forgo cigarettes. It was difficult at first but eventually I reached a point at which I was disgusted with cigarettes and wouldn’t touch them. While I do still vape, I have not smoked a cigarette in multiple years. That, to me, is incredibly impressive.

How To Choose The Right Nicotine Strength

Unlike cigarettes and the tobacco that fills them, e-liquid can be purchased in a wide array of nicotine strengths. There are even different types of nicotine available, such as salt and freebase. Personally, I prefer nicotine salts in my e-liquid because they absorb faster and are smoother. As they’re smoother, I’m able to vape with higher nicotine strength e-liquids, which would be difficult to do with freebase nicotine. For me, I started off at around 50mg/ml, which is quite high in the world of vaping, but have since moved down to around 30mg/ml. Occasionally, I even vape lower strengths all the way down to 0mg/ml, which is known as “zero nic” in some vaping circles.

For me, the right strength to start with was right around 50mg/ml. This is because I was what is known as a “heavy smoker” and as such I really needed a heavy dose of nicotine to curb my cravings. Over time, I worked my down to lower strengths, reducing my nicotine dependency, which was made relatively easy thanks to the widespread availability of e-liquid in many different strengths.

The Difference Between Vaping & Smoking

Some might wonder whether vaping and smoking are the same because they do, to onlookers, appear very similar. Both vapers and smokers inhale and exhale what looks like smoke, but in the case of vapers it’s actually an aerosol that most people call vapor. One very big difference between tobacco smoke and e-liquid vapor is that vapor does not have the tar that’s found in smoke. The differences extend far beyond the lack of tar, but that in itself should really convey just how different the two really are.

Which Is Cheaper?

When you first get into vaping there are some upfront costs like the cost of a new vape kit. After the initial costs are absorbed, there are ongoing costs to deal with. For me, I’ve found that vaping is a lot less expensive than smoking because nicotine e-liquid is actually really cheap, even when you buy premium grade vape juice. The cost of vaping can go up substantially if you’re using disposable e-cigs, but if you fill your own refillable tank you’re apt to save a considerable amount when compared to what you were paying to smoke. It does, however, depend on what brand or brands you buy, where you buy your vaping supplies, and what you were spending on cigarettes. When I crunch the numbers, I’m saving a lot of money over the years, which is a nice bonus to being cigarette-free.

From Smoking To Vaping & Beyond

Some smokers who switch to vaping do it with the goal of simply quitting cigarettes. Others, however, do it with the goal of quitting nicotine entirely. Vaping does provide a route to accomplishing both goals. For the latter, quitting nicotine entirely, it’s just a matter of going from whatever nicotine strength you start with to zero nicotine e-juice, which can be down gradually thanks to the many strengths available. For example, one might start vaping with 15mg/ml nicotine strength vape liquid and then move to 12mg/ml, then 9mg/ml, then 6mg/ml, and eventually 0mg/ml. It’s a process, sure, but it’s a process that many smokers who switched to vaping have used to quit nicotine entirely.

To learn more about nicotine dependency, take a look at this guide on the Mayo Clinic website.