Uncategorized
How Vaping Helps Smokers Kick the Habit During Quarantine
Jan
Quarantine & Chill QUIT
Quitting is hard. Anyone that has gone through the process of giving up cigarettes can attest to that fact. Think about how difficult it is to get rid of filler words “like” “um” “you know” when you have grown accustomed to incorporating it into your everyday speech. Even when you try to eliminate the words consciously, it is still difficult! It feels natural to say them. That’s why bad habits are hard to break once they have stuck and settled in.
When smoking has become a part of your lifestyle and routine, kicking the habit can be one of the most difficult things to do. That said, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of social distancing, quarantine, and lockdown can increase the difficulty in quitting. When there is absolutely nothing to do, who can blame smokers that itch for a cigarette. At the start of this new normal, social media showed the rise of people succumbing to vices to “get through the day.”
More day drinking was happening. More binge watching of TV shows. More unhealthy eating of take out and fast food. While those are different types of bad habits, it is only natural for an addictive habit like smoking to also pick up under these circumstances. All of that said, going cold turkey is rough for even the people with the strongest will power. This is where we turn to a compromise–vaping.
Yes, we get it. It sounds counterintuitive and seems to put a bandaid on the problem without really solving it. However, vaping actually is a great transition for smokers who are trying to kick the habit. At a high level, it is a less harmful alternative and can really help manage the nicotine cravings, limiting smokers from reaching for the pack.
CIGARETTES HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON HEALTH
Before we dive into why vaping is a solid alternative to smoking cigarettes, let’s review why quitting is so important to overall health and wellness.
It is common knowledge that cigarettes have a very negative impact on health and can cause long term issues such as lung cancer. Despite knowing this at a high level, it isn’t always common knowledge to know just how widespread the issue is.
In fact, tobacco use is cited as the number one preventable cause of death in the country by the CDC. It is also noted that the mortality rate is three times higher for both men and women, than similar individuals who have never smoked. But, it isn’t too late. Studies show that quitting smoking before the age of 40 can reduce the risk of dying from related diseases by 90 percent. That’s a dramatic difference! And definitely a strong argument for why smokers should seek to kick the habit.
Beyond the negative impact on a smoker’s health, second hand smoke can also cause lung damage to the people who are frequently exposed to it. This means that smoking cigarettes can hurt the non-smokers in your household or vicinity if they are around it for long enough.
Vaping E-Liquids vs. Smoking Cigarettes
Vaping does contain nicotine. This is true. It can seem hypocritical to choose one over the other, but there is a key point to keep in mind when making this argument for yourself. It is tempting to justify all the reasons why “vaping to quit” wouldn’t work. However, one of the biggest distinguishing differences when it comes to vaping e-liquids versus smoking cigarettes is the actual breakdown of each product!
There are over 4000 different toxic chemicals in a cigarette. That’s 4 decimal places, compared to e-liquids which have 4 primary ingredients…period. Vegetable Glycerin (VG), Propylene Glycol (PG), Flavoring, and Nicotine. Comparatively, vaping is a substantially less harmful method of getting your nicotine fix.
Using Vaping as a Smoking Cessation Tool
Don’t knock it until you try it, but vaping is a very popular and successful cessation tool for smoking. And there are several reasons (in addition to the fact it is less harmful than cigarettes) why that is the case.
- Variety! Vaping offers a lot more variety and diversity. The flavor profile is one of the biggest “pros” of vaping over smoking. There is such a wide range to choose from.
- Convenience! Many e-cigarette or vaping devices are compact, ergonomic, and pocket-friendly. This means you don’t have to worry about holding a pack of cigarettes or storing it.
- Smoke! Because vapor, like its namesake, vaporizes in the air, there is no smoking smell. More importantly, there is also no second hand smoke that can cause harm to the people around you.
- Adjustable! With vaping, you have the capacity to gradually lower the amount of nicotine intake due to all the different nicotine strengths found in vape e-liquids. This way, you can avoid going cold turkey all at once.
Vaping to Quit Works
Nicotine management methods are not new. There are several different approaches that people can take to try to quit smoking. There are so many products that are out there claiming to help with this journey. Some are more effective than others, and of course, it is going to be different for everyone.
But, vaping as a way to quit smoking does work and is effective. There are millions of individuals all around the world that have testified on the effectiveness of vaping to help quit/ease off their bad habit of smoking cigarettes. Additionally, when compared to other methods such as nicotine gum, patches, or going cold turkey, vaping has been found to be at least twice as effective.
Vaping simulates the act of smoking and is the form that feels most familiar to smoking cigarettes. It mimics the bad habits like puffing and having something to “smoke” reduces the antsy restlessness that comes with gum or patches. For smokers, reducing the nicotine levels is not the only bad habit that comes with cigarettes. It’s also not having anything to do with their hands. Functionally, vaping would be the smoothest transition in that scenario.
The Bottom Line
Smoking is the primary lead cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the CDC. With the coronavirus bringing state-issued lockdowns, smokers who were looking to quit or making good progress may have found themselves relapsing or struggling to kick the habit. This is where vaping comes in as an alternative to ease the transition from smoking to not smoking, without forcing the individual to give up nicotine altogether.
In general, vaping is a less harmful option because it does not contain all the toxic chemicals that a cigarette does. It offers variety in flavor, convenience in terms of design, flexibility with nicotine levels, and doesn’t release smoke or smell. It is one of the most effective smoking cessation tools there is compared to the other options that are available on the market.
Zero Nicotine Vaping
Zero NicotineVaping
Contrary to popular belief, vaping isn’t strictly about nicotine. While anyone who is unfamiliar with the scene will associate it with smokers and tobacco users who are looking to quit, there is also an entire subculture of vaping that has nothing to do with nicotine. For example, some people may choose to vape without nicotine simply because they enjoy sampling different flavors or the practice of the countless vaping smoke tricks. Because this isn’t something that is often discussed, we’d like zero in on this topic and focus particularly on zero nicotine vaping.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF VAPING AND WHY DO PEOPLE GET INTO IT?
Vaping and smoking e-cigarettes has slowly gained popularity as being a less toxic alternative to smoking old-school, traditional tobacco products. For that reason, it has also been used as a tactic to wean off cigarettes and for smokers who aren’t able to go cold-turkey right off the bat. Not only are there fewer chemicals and ingredients in most vaping products, there is a higher range of selection when it comes to nicotine strength.
There are so many e-liquid brands and e-cigarette brands that you are likely to find something that fits your specific needs. This also means there is a greater control over the intake of nicotine. Think of it this way–vaping is essentially a game of numbers. Everyone starts off with using different strengths depending on their individual needs and goals.
Most hardcore smokers that are just beginning to transition to vaping will start off in the 12-18mg range to get the same nicotine “throat hit effect” as a cigarette. They may choose to stay within this range for a short or long period of time depending on the individual. When smokers are initially switching over, the higher nicotine levels help curb withdrawal symptoms and allow them to first get used to the act of vaping.
Vaping to quit then becomes a gradual process of reducing the nicotine strength (from 12-18mg to 6mg to 3mg) until eventually, the nicotine level is 0mg. This is the endgame for most people who get into vaping–to fully quit and kick the addiction to nicotine. Zero nicotine vaping becomes a habit that prevents former smokers from reverting back to their old habits.
Outside of the nicotine addiction, there are behavioral “tics” that smokers develop over time. They may get twitchy if they are not exhaling smoke or have something to do with their hands. This makes vaping a great placeholder to keep them nicotine free. For anyone that gets into vaping without a smoking habit, the top reason for starting and staying exclusively at 0mg nicotine e-liquids is because they want to enjoy “flavors” of vaping and don’t have the need for a nicotine throat hit.
WHY SHOULD YOU VAPE ZERO NICOTINE E-LIQUID?
As we mentioned previously, there is an entire subculture to vaping that has nothing to do with nicotine. Like many fads, trends, and “aesthetic” items popularized by mainstream media and pop culture, vaping is inherently tied to certain styles and urban genres. This makes vaping particularly attractive to all sorts of people, who wants to adopt and project the same “vibe” that they see.
And for many, once they partake in this subculture, they actually find themselves enjoying the hobby and may choose to vape for that reason alone. In fact, some have actually found an added benefit is vaping “sweet” flavors can help curb cravings without the downsides of consuming processed sugary foods. Whether it is testing out new “flavors” of e-liquids or having something to do as an alternative to drinking or smoking cigarettes, it offers a way to keep busy (or avoid conversations) in social settings.
In that case, vaping with zero nicotine e-liquid is a far better option than vaping with nicotine, especially if you have never smoked before and do not care for nicotine. Sticking to 0mg nicotine e-liquids will proactively prevent any non-smokers from unnecessarily developing a physical addiction to nicotine. That said, addiction is not always physical and can take form in a mental or psychological manner as well.
The hand to mouth motion that smokers are used to is one such example. Even after kicking the nicotine addiction, some former smokers find the developed muscle memory to be more difficult or impossible to shake, in some cases. They feel “off” or “empty” when they are not performing that motion. This is a psychological addiction that can be developed by individuals who exclusively vape 0mg nicotine as well.
Think of it this way. If you use “like” as a filler word and have grown accustomed to it, how difficult is it to consciously leave the word out of your normal style of speaking? Pretty tough, right? It’s not always conscious and in a lot of ways, operates like a verbal tic. With that in mind, for many former smokers, it makes more sense logically to keep vaping zero nicotine e-liquid rather than risk the chance of returning to cigarettes.
WHO VAPES ZERO NICOTINE E-LIQUID?
When it comes to vaping zero nicotine e-liquid, there are essentially four categories of vapers:
- Ex-Smokers
- Flavor Chasers
- Vape Tricksters / Cloud Chasers
- Social Vapers
Former smokers are the most popular group of vapers that utilize 0mg nicotine e-liquids. As we noted, ex-smokers tend to vape to fully quit nicotine and to make sure they don’t revert back to their former habits. But, as we’ve come to learn, not all “vapers” fit into this category.
“Flavor Chasers” are the individuals who have never smoked before and are not using vaping to kick a bad habit. Instead, they enjoy vaping solely for the flavors that are available. Some flavor chasers may utilize zero nicotine vaping as a way to reduce unnecessary snacking.
As part of the popularized vape culture, there is such a thing as “competitive” vapers who we categorize as tricksters and cloud chasers. These are the individuals who view vaping as a hobby and prefer the 0mg nicotine e-liquids to practice different tricks and techniques. They are able to better focus without worrying about the downsides of the aforementioned throat hit or head-rush that comes with nicotine.
Lastly, social vapers are the ones who do not vape constantly or regularly, but will participate in a social setting. They are not hooked to the habit, but may enjoy using vaping as a way to integrate in certain environments. Because vaping has been popularized, it can be an effective social “filler” for anyone who needs an activity to keep busy while hanging out with a group of people, or looking for a reason to decline other activities such as smoking and drinking.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When we think of vaping, we often associate it with nicotine but it’s important to keep in mind that even for ex-smokers, the ultimate goal is often to get to zero nicotine. For anyone curious about nicotine, vaping has been a less toxic alternative to conventional smoking and arguably less addictive.
With options for zero nicotine e-liquids, individuals who crave the motions and habits associated with smoking e.g. the hand to mouth motion, the exhaling of smoke, and so forth, have an alternative that isn’t physically damaging the way nicotine packed products are.
Check out our e-liquid collections below available in 0mg nicotine strength.
BLVK (FRUITS) COLLECTION
WYTE (DESSERTS) COLLECTION
FRZN (MENTHOLS) COLLECTION
Why Vaping is The Best Way To Quit Smoking
Smoking has been a huge trend nationwide for a very long time. Despite the research and known health risks associated with smoking, the fact is many people never intend on kicking the habit. BLVK Unicorn has been on the forefront of the rising vape scene and we want to let you know that we are here for you if you are deciding whether or not its time to kick that whacky tobaccy for good!
Quitting smoking is not as easy as we would like to believe. Nicotine withdrawals are harsh on the body and the mind. Many smokers who often try to quit cold turkey experience physical pain. Its hard to quit without the presence of disease caused by smoking and sometimes can feel impossible in any given setting. Stress relieving and also highly addictive – we get it. Its hard.
While there are some tough humans out there who succeed in quitting, we know there is a larger population who do not see a way. With smoking alternatives like BLVK Unicorn premium vape juice and easy accessible e-cigs, the task doesn’t have to be one you face alone! BLVK Unicorn has worked hard to provide its majestic unicorns with a variety of delicious vape juice, both nicotine rich and nicotine free!
With the help of a high grade vape juice with the best of ingredients, like BLVK Unicorn products – achieving your goal of quitting smoking can be both exciting and enjoyable! If you are a pack a day smoker, starting with a higher nicotine dosage in your BLVK Unicorn e-liquid can help ween you off cigarettes with some ease. With so many options out there in the electronic cigarette world, there are tons of quality products that will aide you on your journey!
For some, they have no idea what e-cigs and BLVK Unicorn vape juice is all about. We hope that despite the regulations and laws that are actively trying to shut down the vape community, that we can rise up and continue to share knowledge and help users find their way to a healthier lifestyle. The next time you are out for a night at the bar or walking down the street and stop in a smoking area, strike up a conversation! The BLVK blog yearns to share as much information as we can with our readers in hopes of educating them about their favorite hobby. By initiating a conversation with a stranger, you might be introducing them to a better world.
If you have already quit smoking, kudos to you! BLVK Unicorn does not encourage or support the use of nicotine rich products to first time vapers but we do encourage traditional cigarette smokers to take a walk on our side of the block the next time they think about lighting up! We are all in this together and BLVK Unicorn wants you to be around for as long as possible! So, don’t give up if you are trying to make a change for the better – BLVK Unicorn is here to help!
