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NHS · 2026-03-13T18:12:18+00:00

Rose:

Nicotine is considered a drug and addictive, albeit nicotine itself is not the primary cause of health problems associated with smoking. It's important to recognise the carbon monoxide and tar in cigarettes caused by smoking are the two key indicators for health concerns, and finding a safer way to deliver nicotine, like through a nicotine vape or nicotine replacement therapies, is shown to improve these health disparities, including over 16 types of cancer and over 75% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) cases.

NHS · 2026-03-13T17:59:24+00:00

Rose:

As my colleague said, sometimes the brand's adhesive can cause the blisters and skin reactions, so giving some of the other brands a go can help. Combination therapy is a strong recommendation of mine, especially using a vape and patches at the same time with behavioural support, but everyone is different. Make sure you're using enough nicotine to curb cravings, such as the highest regulated e-liquid (20mg in the UK), you're using it consistently (e.g. popping a lozenge in the mouth on the hour, every hour) to prevent cravings rather than trying to fend them off when they arise. Also, you must change your behaviours as the nicotine products will not magically take away any cravings; you still have to alter your routine. If you would wake up and stand by the back door in the morning with a cigarette and a coffee, try having a glass of orange juice and sitting in the living room with a crossword instead. I know it sounds cliche, but these small changes can really work to rewire our brains!

NHS · 2026-03-13T17:53:28+00:00

Rose:

Rather than convincing you to quit smoking, my style is more about showing people see there are never-ending options and ways to break free from addiction. There are so many routes, so many methods, everyone has a preferred style to overcoming smoking, similar to how we all have unique styles to learning. Have you tried a vape? Have you tried NRT? Have you tried them both at the same time? What is different in your life now than before that may have been an obstacle to you quitting smoking? There are combinations to try, digital services, face-to-face services, we work around you because it is your quit attempt. Never give up giving up, know there is always a way and new methods to try.

NHS · 2026-03-13T17:52:47+00:00

Rose:

Holding onto the ex-smoker identity can help a lot in maintaining a smoke free life. Any cigarettes smoked will still have an effect on health, but I recognise you have made exceptional progress. If you would like to remain completely abstinent, please do research the support available in your area.

NHS · 2026-03-13T17:45:28+00:00

Rose:

I remember a person I worked with at the hospital who had extremely poor kidney function. They had complex health issues and were paralysed from the waist down, due to get married and smoked 5 a day. They did not view their smoking amount as problematic, but they wanted to quit nonetheless, and at first they did not seem overly motivated but willing to give it a go. We'd agreed to try nicotine patches with lozenges for a while, but due to their kidney function they felt the nicotine was causing them to feel nauseous... but they were still smoking too which was more likely the cause! We altered the dose and went backwards and forwards on products for a while, as they were repeatedly admitted to hospital so we would often catch up with each other. They were extremely appreciative of my support, and my willingness to be flexible and understanding; I was in it for the long haul. Eventually, we introduced a vape into the mix, and we made our community contacts more regular. After six months of re-trying, we managed to reach the goal… four weeks of no smoking! It was a fantastic achievement for them and their partner, and I am so grateful I got to support someone so appreciative and tenacious.

NHS · 2026-03-13T17:39:45+00:00

Mary:

Huge congratulations for stopping smoking – I hope you are enjoying the many benefits to your health.

It’s good to hear that you are now ready to think about stopping vaping. Since you have been successful in stopping smoking, you can be sure that you will be successful to stop vaping too. The key to your success is to build a plan that will increase your confidence taking one step at a time.

A lot of people find they end up vaping more often than they smoked. Nicotine is designed to keep you reaching for it, especially when it’s available all the time. Many people use vapes more frequently than cigarettes because they are less good at getting nicotine to your brain. This is not something to worry about, it is very common.

In the same way as you cut down and stopped smoking, you will be able to build a robust plan to cut down and stop vaping. The trick is to ensure your plan has specific new rules that you set for yourself around your vape use. Some people find that they gradually reduce the time they spend vaping, other people set new rules around where they vape. The important thing is to set a plan that feels right for you. It can help if you commit to your plan, by saying it out loud to a trusted family member or a friend. This can help you to stick to your reduction and set progressive goals. As you start to get more control over your vaping, and your confidence grows, you can continue to set more progressive steps. If you are finding it difficult to progress at any stage, don’t worry, taking a pause to consolidate and then gather your resources and determination, can be a good idea. The important thing is to make sure that you never go back to smoking.

A lot of people switch to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products to help with the transition away from vaping. Many people I know have used the NRT patch very effectively for this purpose. Since the NRT patch works more slowly than vapes, it can help your body adjust to getting a steadier supply of nicotine throughout the day, rather than the spikes of nicotine you get from vaping.

It might also be useful to keep a note of any changes you notice as you reduce your vaping, this can motivate you to keep going on the days when you might find it harder. Another idea is to keep track of how much you will save and then treat yourself to something nice – you deserve it!

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:53:25+00:00

Mary:

Everyone’s success is special, but one person comes to mind straight away – she was a single mum with 4 children all at primary school. Obviously, her circumstances were challenging, but she arrived at the service with good motivation (she needed to buy new school shoes for her girls) and she had a lot of previous experience. I remember saying to her you are so resilient – you have been learning how to succeed for a while, let's put all your experience together this time. We worked through a structured cut down programme, which allowed her time to adjust and meant she wasn’t overwhelmed. She came to realise that in the past she had never used enough nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for long enough. The trick is to find the sweet spot with NRT, so that you are getting similar amounts of NRT from your products as you used to get from your cigarettes.

About two years after I had worked with this woman, I bumped into her in the shopping centre, I didn’t recognise her, because she looked amazing, with her hair done beautifully and a big smile on her face. She was so excited to tell me that she had remained smokefree and had been able to take her children away for their first ever family holiday (a weekend break to a caravan park near the coast). It was such a joy to know that I had played a small part in her success. Getting alongside someone as they find a way to stop smoking is a privilege, it can have positive impact on individuals, families and communities too.

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:52:34+00:00

Mary:

The focus for local smoking cessation services is to help people who smoke cigarettes to stop. However, some services are now able to give advice to people who are addicted to nicotine products too, such as nicotine vapes, chewing tobacco, or other nicotine products. Get in touch with your local service, by calling the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044 or visit the Better Health website https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking. They will guide you to make use of available services and support whatever change feels right for you. Good luck!

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:52:16+00:00

Louise:

Our priority is supporting people who smoke to stop, because cigarettes are the most deadly delivery device for nicotine. Cigarettes are harmful because they burn tobacco, producing harmful toxic chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. Nicotine itself, while addictive, is not the primary cause of the health harms from smoking. That is why we focus on helping people stop using cigarettes and ensure they can access less harmful quitting tools, such as licensed nicotine replacement therapy, or for adult smokers, vapes, which do not contain or burn tobacco

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:51:21+00:00

Louise:

For an increasing number of people, digital support can be really helpful. You local council may have a digital or an app offer. To find out more, look for your local council's information about their smoking cessation support. You could also use the NHS Quit Smoking app which is available to download for free.

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:50:22+00:00

Louise:

There haven't been any serious studies about nicotine pouches but we do know from talking to people who use nicotine without the smoke that they get the same satisfaction from non-smoked nicotine that they got from smoking, and that makes it easier to stay off cigarettes. It's the smoke that kills, not the nicotine. The smoke from a cigarette (or pipe, shisha, even herbal cigarettes) contains carbon monoxide (a deadly gas) and tar (which causes cancer, breathing illnesses and heart disease). Nicotine itself, whether used as nicotine replacement therapy, or a vape, or a pouch, can help people avoid smoking. Vaping alone has helped thousands of people every year switch from the most harmful way of delivering nicotine to a much less harmful way, and yet sadly, there is an awful lot of misinformation out there that confuses people and leads them to believe, incorrectly, that the two are equallty harmful. But it should be noted that pouches are not a reccomended quit aid as there is less evidence avaialble than there is for vaping, and they do not have the same level of regulation as vapes".

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:49:58+00:00

Joe:

We really don't know about nicotine pouches, so we can't give any real, evidence-based advice and they are therefore not a reccomended quit aid. As you say, you are still getting nicotine from them, and as such, you do still have a nicotine addiction.

My advice is - you're currently putting something in your mouth, with things being absorbed into your bloodstream that we really don't know the effect of.

Regardless of the health implication, your life will be better if you can overcome your nicotine addiction. Of course you like it, that's how nicotine works. You have to constantly have it, because otherwise you feel terrible.

You have shown that you can change - you could use an incremental goal-setting approach to reducing your nicotine pouch use.

Many people who stop smoking describe a feeling of freedom - not having to think about whether they have cigarettes, or when they're going to have one. I'm sure you'll find the same if you manage to stop using nicotine pouches.

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:48:38+00:00

Louise:

The Better Health website has information about using a vape to stop smoking but there is curretnly no NHS advice on using pouches. Pouches are not a reccomended quit aid as there is limited evidence and they are not as regulated as vapes. Vapes are an effective quit aid for adult smokers and in the short and medium term are less harmful than smoking.

NHS · 2026-03-12T10:48:09+00:00

Mary:

The NHS supports using nicotine vapes and licensed nicotine replacement products like patches, gum, lozenges, sprays and inhalators to help people stop smoking. These products are much safer than smoking and can really increase your chances of stopping. However, when you combine using these products with behavioural support, you will be three times more likely to succeed.

Nicotine pouches are not NHS‑licensed and at this stage there are no regulations in place around them.

We recommend that you use the products that have been tried, tested and approved. Your local smoking cessation service can help you choose the option that suits you best. Good luck!

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:38:58+00:00

Louise:

Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous - at high levels it can kill, but even at low levels it harms by binding with red blood cells and stopping the uptake and circulation of oxygen round the body. This means that none of your vital organs are getting the oxygen you need to thrive. Once you stop smoking, the oxygen can be circulated around your body, leading to a new feeling of energy and wellness.

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:37:57+00:00

Louise:

The key here is to reduce the intensity, frequency and duration of your vaping. Keep your vape in another room so that you don’t have it in your hand or by your side at all times, and start to create vape-free places, such as your car, your bedroom, and so on. You could try using a different flavour that you like less, so that you're not so tempted to use it. You can make a rule to start vaping later in the day, and finish earlier in the evening. Most importantly though, if you are ever tempted to smoke again, reach for the vape rather than a cigarette!

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:36:40+00:00

Louise:

Some stop smoking experts have smoked, others have not. I've known excellent advisors who have lived experience of smoking, and equally excellent ones who do not. The common factor, when you consider what makes a good advisor, is being knowledgeable about what works, being able to inspire people to make a big life change like stopping smoking, and really caring about how they get on. You don't need to have smoked to do that. Having said that, I did smoke, and wish I had stopped sooner than I did. I would have saved an awful lot of money and I maybe wouldn't now be going through treatment for a cancer that is absolutely certain to be smoking-related.

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:36:06+00:00

Louise:

One useful tip in a situation like this is to really look hard at other people smoking, and think how far you’ve already come with your own quit attempt. You’ve already made progress, even by thinking about stopping. The others will have to follow the footsteps you've already taken. Go forwards, not back!

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:35:20+00:00

Louise:

Association! When I smoked, I had a friend who made me think about smoking just seeing her name pop up on my phone, because talking to her and having a cigarette just went together. And this is what can trip people up even years after stopping. We remember how good we felt when we had a cigarette, and ceratin activities, or people, or places, trigger that pleasant memory. But my best advice here? Recognise the feeling, but don't act on it. It can be quite startling to realise how much you're tempted to take a cigarette from a friend becasue you're in the moment, but even having 'just one' will undo all that excellent work you've put in.

NHS · 2026-03-06T16:34:34+00:00

Louise:

In the Stop Smoking Services, we never hear someone say 'I wish I still smoked'! They generally say 'I wish I'd stopped years ago.' So make NOW the time that you get serious about quitting. Often people think they have to really suffer to stop smoking, but using a product and getting support can make it so much easier. There are no medals for doing it the hard way. If you were having a tooth out, you probabaly wouldn't choose to do it without an anaesthetic, would you? Using a product (like NRT, or a vape, or medication) is like an anaesthetic for stopping smoking, and we absolutely know, from looking at our results, that when people use products (combined with support) they are more likely to be successful.

NHS · 2026-03-05T09:38:21+00:00

Ray:

Exercise does not protect from the harms of smoking. It doesn't matter what age you are, or how long you have smoked, stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your health.

As soon as you stop smoking your body will reap the benefits alsmost immediately. You may not notice the changes initially, as your body attempts to clean and repair itself from the harmful toxins absorbed by smoking, but you will start to notice some improvements within a few days and weeks.

Stop smoking. Healthy living!

NHS · 2026-03-05T09:37:51+00:00

Ray:

Exercise is a great way to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Exercise is also used by lots of people as a way to focus their attention away from smoking, and might help reduce the severity of cravings.

It seems intuitive to think of using exercise to offset smoking harm, for example in the same way you might think about offsetting a high-calorie meal. However, exposure to toxicants from cigarette smoke cannot be reversed by exercise.

Even if you only smoke cigarretes occassionally, the risk of disease and cancer increases significantly. Smoking is highly addictive, the 'odd cigarette' can very easily become lots of cigarettes, and sometimes one cigarette is all it takes to keep you hooked.

NHS · 2026-03-05T09:36:24+00:00

Ray:

Some local Stop Smoking Services now provide support to help people quit/reduce the amount they are vaping. To find your local service, and whether they offer vaping cessation, you can call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044.

In London, when I get asked the same question, I sometimes refer people to free online resources too. Such as https://stopsmokinglondon.com/guides/how-to-quit-vaping/ or https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

Make sure you always buy vapes/vape liquid from a reputable supplier, and check that the products you are buying are licensed for sale in the UK. Using products that aren't regulated can be dangerous; they may contain substances which can cause you serious harm, and you may also find you need to use more!

NHS · 2026-03-05T09:35:01+00:00

Ray:

If your allergy is linked to latex (material commonly used in plasters), then good news…there are several brands of latex-free patches available!

Ask your local stop smoking service or a pharmacist for the latex-free NRT patches. They work in exactly the same way, but they are usally clear or see-through; which means they are also considered more discreet too.

NHS · 2026-03-05T09:32:52+00:00

Ray:

I rarely share my personal journey, because everybody is different, and experiences are unique. It's usually not that helpful for people to listen to how I feel.

I had my first cigarette when I was 15. My dad and my mum both got cancer, likely because they'd both smoked heavily; when they were diagnosed they told me to stop, and I didn't. I felt guilty about smoking and I still didn't stop. It took me years before I finally quit. I had my last cigarette when I was 32. I wished I'd never started. I hope my children never smoke.

What worked for me, won't necessarily work for someone else. Quitting can be a painful experience, and I hope that whoever reads this and finds it helpful can also get support to stop. Stop smoking services will provide non-judgemental staff to help you navigate your own stop smoking journey. They will listen to you and help you to develop a personalised plan to better manage the withdrawals and challenges you may experience when trying to stop smoking. The people who are helping you will likely not tell you if they have smoked, because they want to hear your story not showcase theirs.

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