Did you know vaping isn’t as healthy as some would like you thinking? Some harmful chemicals present in vape devices include tobacco alkaloids, propylene glycol, polyester compounds, vegetable glycerin and anti-freeze!
Yes, the kind intended for cars’ coolant systems. You read that last one right.
In 2022 alone, a little over two and a half million middle and high school kids reported using vapes or e-cigs (in just the USA).
Quite concerning, given the chemicals mentioned earlier. And those are just the ones who admitted to using vapes, who knows how many more kids are using this stuff and potentially harming their bodies?
Luckily, there are ways to stop this habit dead in its tracks if you have it (we all have bad habits that we should overcome).
In this article, I’ll let you know more about the harms of vaping, and then let you know the 5 best ways to quit vaping.
What Are Those Chemicals, And Why They Wreck Your Body
In this article, let’s just focus on the few chemicals I’ve mentioned above. Sure, there’s a lot more chemicals in vape products than just those, but I believe the ones listed here should be enough to give you the ick you need to finally kick the habit.
So, what’s propylene glycol? Well, to put it in simple terms, it’s a solvent (won’t solve your problems, though). It’s often used in smoke/fog machines, the type you see at festivals, concerts, some more eccentric street performer’s corner… You get the idea.
It’s nearly odorless, but it has a faintly sweet taste. It contains some alcohol in its chemical structure. While low in toxicity, it’s been known to sometimes cause liver and kidney damage, and there’s not much reason to believe lungs would fare any better.
Tobacco alkaloids are, well, chemicals derived from the tobacco plant. Nicotine is the major tobacco alkaloid, and it’s addictive as all hell. Did you know some Native Americans warned a group of European sailors that they’d never be able to quit, as they were loading tobacco back onto their ships?
The stuff’s always been addictive and harmful, and continues to be so, even if not consumed in the “classic” way.
Anti-freeze is, well, anti-freeze. There’s some different variations of it, some more, some less toxic. But regardless of how it’s made, I’ve never heard of a doctor saying it’s ok to drink, so probably inhaling the stuff isn’t alright for you, either.
Vegetable glycerin is derived from vegetable fat. Doesn’t sound that bad, right? I mean, people eat animal and plant fat on a daily basis, don’t they? That may be, but smoking it is a whole different thing.
Some are still debating whether it’s safe for vaping purposes or not. So far, it’s only been confirmed that it can trigger allergic reactions, but I wouldn’t hold my breath (ha) on that being the only possible side effect. And, to be honest, no one should take the risk, if you ask me.
With all that out of the way, let’s move on to talking about the 5 best ways to quit vaping. Scared you enough, probably.
How To Quit Vaping
Let’s jump right into the five methods. I’m gonna save the best for last.
Ready? Let’s go!
Method #1 - Holding An Item Habit Replacement
Part of every addiction is simply the habit of holding onto the item of your addiction. Because your brain is used to it, it’s been trained to see it as a form of comfort when held onto.
By replacing the item in question with an item unrelated to your addiction, you would, in turn, effectively replace this part of your bad habit. It’d give you the familiar feeling of calm that you get holding your vape pen, but with something you can’t inhale toxic stuff from instead. Great, right?
That something could be a pencil, a small can, literally anything that somewhat resembles the shape and weight of the object your addiction got you used to holding.
The main downside is that you’d look kinda weird walking around with an empty can all day, so I’d mostly use this in private settings.
Method #2 - Hand-to-mouth Habit Replacement
Like in the method listed above, there is another habit that results from addiction to vaping products: namely, the habit of holding an item and bringing it up to your mouth to inhale from it.
Luckily, you can incorporate the first method into this one as well, and hit two birds with one stone. Simply bringing up the object you’re holding as a replacement for your vape pen to your mouth, and maybe even acting like you’re inhaling from it, can relieve some of the urge you may feel to slip back into using vapes.
Do not underestimate this method and the one mentioned earlier - replacing the harmful object with a harmless one, while still maintaining the habits you’re so used to, gives you a big edge in fighting your addiction.
The main downside, just like above, is the awkwardness of doing this in public, except now it’s even more of an issue since it involves you putting your mouth on it.
Method #3 - Deep Breathing Techniques
You’ve heard of people doing this to calm down their anxiety, right? Well, good news is, this also works to combat addiction.
Quitting something you’re addicted to is bound to cause anxiety, alongside the to-be-expected urges to relapse, so you should be ready to address that anxiety spike while your body readjusts to living without the chemicals it’s addicted to.
Deep breathing exercises, or techniques, typically involve breathing in deeply through your belly for a set number of seconds, holding your breath for a set number of seconds, and then exhaling for a set number of seconds.
For instance, you can inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 5, then exhale for 3. Or whatever number you’re comfortable with. Never force yourself to hold for too long, by the way!
Another advantage, aside from instilling calmness in you, that this method has is that it can be used to mimic the deep inhales you used to take from your vape pen, helping you replace yet another part of your addiction with something healthy.
The downside is that you can’t really do this on the go. In addition, it’s also tough to do without a little bit of practice and trial & error first, and might make you frustrated until you get the hang of it, which isn’t helpful (quite the opposite) when you’re fighting an addiction.
Method #4 - Meditation
Meditation, or mindfulness, is the practice of grounding yourself in the moment, mentally as well as physically. It allows you to let go of your worries and issues, if only for a little while, and instead focus on feeling the calm wash over you.
It often involves achieving a very relaxed, meditative state through a combination of breathing exercises and mental relaxation, where you focus on the here and now rather than the where and when. Does it make sense?
Basically, it’s chill time for the body, mind and spirit, but without sleeping.
It can be a very useful tool in combating any sort of addiction, as it allows your mind to take a step back from the urges and rather focus inward. As an added bonus, many people report getting a deeper knowledge of the inner workings of their own minds since they started meditating regularly.
The downside is that it’s not really effective unless you have the right spot, solitude and quiet. So, for most, it’s only doable when at home, and as we all know, the urges don’t wait for your stressful shift at work to end.
Method #5 - The Best Way To Quit Vaping, The Bliss Eden
Ah, my favorite!
This little marvel of engineering is practically the multitool to fighting addiction. How so? Well, it combines all four methods listed above into an easy-to-use, portable tool that you can take with you anywhere you need.
It’s all natural, and safe, being carefully crafted from medical-grade 316 stainless steel. It’s custom-machined to allow the user to draw deep, controlled breaths from it, making deep breathing techniques very easy to do with its aid, even for beginners.
It comes with a beautiful chain, so it can be worn around your neck like a pendant (so rest assured people won’t know what it’s for, if that’s a concern). Feather-light, you’ll run the risk of even forgetting you’re wearing it, haha.
It’s also discreet in terms of sound, allowing you to near-silently do your deep breathing through it.
With the Eden, you can effectively replace the item holding and hand-to-mouth habits, and perform deep breathing exercises and even, to an extent, public meditation, regardless of when and where you need it.
You get to pick from four beautiful colors, namely: gold, silver, rose gold and matte black. It also comes packaged with a cleaning cloth and brush, a chakra bracelet for those who wanna start their spiritual journeys, and stickers.
Did I mention the money-back warranty in case someone’s unsatisfied? Because yeah, that also exists. And they have excellent customer support services.
Three-day US-wide shipping is also pretty nice, now that I think about it.
Final Word
Being addicted to something harmful sucks, trust me, I know. But the important thing to remember is that you’re not alone, and that there’s ways to make quitting easier.
Out of the 5 best ways to quit vaping, I fully recommend the Bliss Eden as the best help in your journey to a healthier life. For all the reasons listed above, it’s effectively an all-in-one tool to combat addiction to vaping.
I wish you the best of luck in overcoming this vice, and I hope that a little while from now you’ll look back and be proud of having found the strength to make this change in your life.
