Many teens and young adults aren’t concerned with learning how to quit vaping until they understand the benefits of quitting vaping.
Regardless of the narrative that marketing companies and “big tobacco” try to sell, vaping—the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs)—is not necessarily a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes.
E-cig battery-powered heating elements turn addictive liquid nicotine, which can come in various flavors and added chemicals, into vapor that users inhale. Unfortunately, business is booming.
Nearly one in 20 adults in the U.S. is vaping, reports Reuters Health, and the majority of users are under 35 years old.
This raises serious concerns about the health and wellbeing of a large swath of younger generations because there is no long-term research on the health effects of vaping, which worries many experts.
Even more troubling is research showing the year-to-year increase in vaping among teenagers, according to the Monitoring the Future Survey conducted by the University of Michigan.
“Increases in adolescent vaping from 2017 to 2018 were the largest ever recorded in the past 43 years for any adolescent substance abuse outcome in the U.S.,” the survey found.
Generally sold as a quit-smoking aid, the research is unclear and often contradictory about how many are able to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. In fact, Harvard Health cites a 2015 study that found nearly 60 percent of people who vape also smoke cigarettes.
An addiction to nicotine, either from tobacco or e-cigarettes, is one of the most difficult habits to break. With a bit of support and education about the benefits of being nicotine-free, though, anyone can quit.
Here are 10 Things That Happen to Your Body When You Quit Vaping
1. Vaping Withdrawal Symptoms
Most people should expect to experience some of the following vaping withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, mood swings, anxiety or irritability, within about 24 hours of the last vape.
It’s important to be mentally prepared to accept vaping withdrawal symptoms and know they’ll pass in a short time.
2. Nicotine is Gone
By the 72-hour mark, nicotine will be out of the system and most of the unpleasant physical symptoms will have abated.
Psychologically, cravings will still occur, but this is a trick of addiction; your body no longer needs nicotine.
3. Blood Circulation Increases
Physicians know that nicotine from cigarettes decreases blood flow around the heart and the same might be true with nicotine from e-cigarettes.
After a period of abstinence, though, blood circulation will begin to return to normal.
4. Increased Lung Capacity
Lung capacity will increase as inflammation caused by vaping decreases and air is able to flow much better.
Getting more oxygen will also lead to higher energy-levels and better performance during physical activities.
5. Improved Sense of Smell and Taste
After two days of not using a Juul or other brands of electronic cigarettes, which can dull some of the senses, most people will likely realize they have an improved sense of smell, and more importantly, food will taste better than before they decided to quit.
6. Reduced Risk of Heart Attack
After just 24 hours of not vaping, the risk of having a heart attack begins to decrease.
A regular e-cig habit, according to at least one study, can double a person’s risk for having a heart attack.
7. Enhanced Lung Capacity
Within the first 1 to 9 months after quitting vaping, the lung’s capacity to clear out mucus and fight off infections significantly increases.
This event is even more noticeable than the early signs of increased lung capacity most people will feel shortly after they quit vaping.
8. Decreased Danger of Stroke
E-cigarette users are much more likely to be at risk for having a stroke.
Quitting decreases this risk almost immediately and the benefits continue to grow as they progress further from the last time they vaped.
9. Cancer Possibility Diminishes
As the years add up, a former vaper’s risk for all sorts of cancers, including lung, mouth, pancreatic and throat, continues to decrease.
Reducing the chances of getting cancer should be one of the biggest motivators for many people to stop using nicotine in all forms, including vaping.
10. Long-Term Overall Health Returns
In the long-term, after approximately 15 to 20 years of not vaping, a former vaper has the same chances at overall health and wellbeing as a person who never vaped or smoked.
Quitting Vaping Isn’t Easy. But the Benefits Are Worth It.
Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. For those who use it regularly, they also know it can be quite enjoyable, not to mention sometimes essential for coping with stress and other daily annoyances.
But even those who enjoy smoking cigarettes or vaping know for certain that it is damaging to their health. Some don’t want to stop and others simply can’t very easily.
Regardless of what camp you fall in, if there’s any way possible to stop, either alone or with the help of anti-nicotine aids or formal treatment, the benefits of quitting far outweigh those from doing it daily.
We’ve outlined 10 things that happen to your body when you stop vaping, and there are many more. The top of the list not mentioned here is the money that will be saved from quitting an expensive habit like vaping.
Depending on the amount a person spends on e-cig rigs and juice, quitting could add up to enough savings for a mighty fine vacation to enjoy all the newly found health benefits in the first year alone. And that could happen every year after, for a very long time. Just saying.
Related:
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You Want To Conquer Your addiction; You Just Don’t Know It Yet
