Quitting vaping

Find information to help you quit vaping, including what to expect, how to prepare, and approaches to take.

On this page

• Preparing to Quit
• Choose the right quit approach
• Support is available to help you succeed
• Get ready for your quit day

Preparing to Quit

While quitting vaping may not be easy, you can do it. You have the power to make it happen, and there are tools and supports to help you. You can reduce gradually or stop all at once. If you quit smoking by switching to vaping, quit vaping once you are confident that you will not return to smoking.

If you are trying to quit vaping, you're not alone. The same tools and strategies used to quit smoking can help. They aim to help you break your dependence to nicotine and change your behaviour patterns.

For more in-depth information and exercises that you can also use to quit vaping, visit Quit with Confidence

Your reasons for quitting vaping

Take some time to think about what motivates you to want to quit vaping. We have provided some examples.

• Reduce risk of disease
• Freedom from nicotine dependence
• Better quality of life
• Breathe better
• Save money
• For pets, family or other close ones
• Have more energy
• Reduce your ecological footprint

Understanding nicotine addiction

Most vaping products contain nicotine; an addictive chemical extracted from tobacco or synthesized. On its own, nicotine is not known to cause cancer,^{Footnote 1} respiratory or vascular disease^{Footnote 2} but it can cause physical dependence and addiction.

1. Nicotine causes a release of chemicals that can make you feel temporarily energized, happy, alert, or calm.
2. Soon after, the level of nicotine starts to decrease and you begin to crave it, feeling uncomfortable or irritable if you try to resist. This is nicotine withdrawal.
3. Over time, your body will need more nicotine to get that short burst of energy and calming feeling. This creates a cycle of use.

See After you quit for more information on quitting smoking and mental health which could also help you after you quit vaping.

When you reduce how much you vape each day, your brain will get used to having less nicotine in your body. You may get cravings to vape, but if you resist and delay vaping, the craving will only last a few minutes. Over time, the cravings will become fewer, shorter, and weaker. Before you vape, ask yourself these questions:

• Can I go without vaping this time?
• Do I even really want to vape?
• Can I wait or do something else?

Nicotine withdrawal

Cutting back or quitting vaping may cause some symptoms of nicotine withdrawal such as having cravings, feeling restless, angry, or sad, and having difficulty concentrating or sleeping. This is common and not dangerous. Symptoms will improve over time, as long as you remain vape-free.

To help you cope or manage your withdrawal symptoms when you feel a strong need to vape, try the 5Ds.

• Delay vaping as long as you can
• Distract yourself by doing something else
• Deep breathing to help you relax
• Drink water to keep your hands and mouth busy
• Discuss how you feel with a friend or quit coach

Identifying triggers and developing coping skills

Vaping is often tied to your daily routines and these can trigger the urge to vape. Triggers are anything that you associate with vaping or something that would lead you to want to vape. For some, triggers may be associated with certain activities or feelings. For others, they can be associated with people or places.

• When walking or driving
• Drinking coffee or alcohol
• Texting or playing on your phone
• Relaxing after work or after a meal
• Sensory (smelling vape aerosol, seeing someone vape)
• Feeling strong emotions (stressed, angry, excited, etc.) or bored
• Social (hanging out with people vaping, social events, social media)

Learning to recognize your vaping triggers and patterns is an important part of quitting. This can provide insight into your vaping routines.

Managing relationships with people who vape

If you live, work, or interact with someone who vapes, it can be hard to remain vape-free. Here are some tips to help you stay focused on your goal:

• Let the person who vapes know ahead of time that you are planning to quit, so they're prepared for this change.
• Ask them if they would like to quit with you. When you have a quit buddy for support, you're more likely to stay on track.
• Ask them not to vape when you're around.
• Ask them not to offer you a vape, buy you any or leave them lying around.
• Try to make your home and car vape-free. If this is not possible, try to create a vape-free space within your home and remove all vaping devices and liquids.

Choose the right quit approach

Part of planning includes choosing an approach that's right for you. The same approaches to quitting smoking are likely to be helpful. Note that if you are pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding, it is an important time to quit vaping. Counselling is recommended as a first step.

The following are some common approaches that may help you quit vaping.

1. Using a quit aid

We know quit aids can help people deal with triggers and reduce cravings for the nicotine in cigarettes. A variety are available and many can be used in combination with other supports. To date, quit aids have not been approved in Canada with the express purpose of helping someone quit vaping. That said, research on using quit aids to quit vaping is promising^{Footnote 3}. Ask your healthcare provider about choosing a quit aid that is right for you to increase your chances of quitting successfully.

Visit Quit with Confidence: How to quit to learn more about these quit aids:

• Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
• Prescription medications
• Cytisine

2. Cut back gradually before quitting

If you want to cut back gradually, you can slowly reduce the amount of nicotine in your vaping liquid or the number of sessions/hits you vape as you move closer to your quit date. Cutting back gradually allows you to get a sense of what it will be like to quit for good. It also gives you the chance to deal with challenges one at a time, instead of all at once.

3. Quit suddenly and completely without any quit aids ('cold turkey')

This means deciding to quit abruptly, without using any quit aids like NRT or prescription medications to deal with cravings. This method works for some people, but it doesn't work for everyone. If you choose this approach, we recommend you review Coping with cravings for behavioural strategies.

Support is available to help you succeed

There are a number of resources that can help you become vape-free:

• Speak to a healthcare provider
• Quit vaping programs
• Counselling
• Connect with a quitline
• Phone applications or text messaging services

Combining different types of support will give you the best chance of success. You can also find local support and services to quit vaping through your provincial and territorial quit smoking services.

Learn more:

• How to quit

Get ready for your quit day

Set a quit date

A well-chosen quit date should give you enough time to prepare, but not too much time to lose motivation. You may want to find a week when you have fewer deadlines or plan to begin on a weekend. Take advantage of another milestone like your birthday or New Year`s or even an unexpected time where you vaped less such as during an illness.

Before your quit date, change your thinking around your vaping routines. Instead of saying "I will not," try saying, "I will."
For example, if you normally vape on your break, you could say: "During my next break, I will go for a short walk with a colleague instead of vaping." This way, you prime yourself to look forward to another activity, instead of thinking that you are missing out.

Think about the times in the past that you have gone without vaping, either intentionally or unintentionally. Are there things that you did to keep yourself from vaping? What worked for you and what didn't? Think about how you have made other important changes in your life and whether you can use these skills to help you quit.

On the day before you quit

You're almost there. As your quit day approaches, you may be having different feelings. This is completely normal.

• Remind yourself that you are prepared and have the tools and knowledge to succeed.
• Let your family, friends, and co-workers know that tomorrow is your quit day.
• Ask them to be understanding if you appear tense or irritable.
• Let them know how they can support you and that you appreciate their help.

After you quit

Congratulations! Proudly celebrate your decision to quit.

Quitting may be challenging over the next few days. Make it easier by:

• taking time for yourself
• walking away from situations (sights, smells) that give you the urge to vape or make you feel anxious
• continuing to think positively and being kind to yourself

For reflection exercises as well as tips on how to stay focused and how to regain control if you relapse, visit After you quit, which also applies to quitting vaping.

Footnotes