I quit vapes overnight after doing 1 thing as disposable e-cigarettes are now banned

Daily Record

2 days ago

A UK-wide ban on disposable vapes came into force on Sunday, June 1
A nationwide ban on disposable vapes has been enforced from Sunday, June 1, making it illegal to sell single-use e-cigarettes across the UK. While reusable vaping products will still be available, the ban is anticipated to encourage many vapers to quit - a feat I accomplished after three years of addiction to these colourful devices.
I never imagined I'd be grappling with a nicotine addiction in my thirties. I was never a heavy smoker; it was a habit I picked up at university and quickly dropped.
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However, vaping posed a completely different challenge. It turned out that I was inhaling the equivalent of 100 cigarettes per week through vaping.
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Like any addiction, the habit subtly took over - initially, it was just a few puffs during social gatherings or post-dinner relaxation. Before I knew it, I was dependent on disposable vapes like Juul and Lost Mary, never leaving home without one.
Boredom soon became an excuse for vaping. In no time at all, I was vaping from dawn till dusk, reports the Express.
I vaped at home, at my desk, while watching telly - I even vaped in bed.
It all seemed harmless until the side effects began to appear: constant dry mouth, headaches, shortness of breath, and mental fog. I realised I needed to quit, but I had no idea where to begin.
A Lost Mary BM600 disposable vape, available in a variety of fruit flavours, is roughly equivalent to 20 cigarettes due to its 20mg nicotine content.
At my worst, I was using five a week. This means that I was taking in 100mg of nicotine, equivalent to 100 cigarettes.
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However, the maximum legal nicotine level in the UK for these devices is 40mg of nicotine, which is dispensed over 500 to 600 puffs.
The NHS has stated that while vaping is less harmful than traditional smoking, it's not without risks. The long-term effects of e-cigarettes remain unclear, but they have been linked with lung damage, causing inflammation and tissue harm which can lead to chronic coughing, breathlessness and other respiratory issues.
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The NHS also warns of additional side effects such as dry mouth and throat, irritation, headaches, and dizziness. Nicotine, a key ingredient in e-cigarettes, is a highly addictive substance that can result in withdrawal symptoms when attempting to quit.
Furthermore, e-cigarettes pose a significant environmental hazard due to their composition of plastic, copper, rubber and a lithium-ion battery, all of which can take decades to decompose.
Despite numerous attempts to quit, including gradually reducing usage, chewing gum, and leaving my vape by the front door, I always found myself returning to it.
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I would justify my actions by convincing myself that at least I wasn't smoking cigarettes, but deep down, I knew I was still hooked. Then, one day, I stumbled upon a book that transformed my perspective: Dopamine Nation: Why our Addiction to Pleasure is Causing us Pain by Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist at Stanford University.
Though her speciality primarily lies in the US opioid crisis, she has delved into various forms of addiction, from shopping and food to social media and sex. Dr Lembke argues that addiction isn't just about the substance itself, but rather the brain's reward system.
Nicotine provides an immediate dopamine rush, offering a transient sense of pleasure.
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The initial pleasurable buzz nicotine offers quickly dissipates, leaving a user grappling with discomfort, irritability, and anxiety. This vicious cycle is fuelled by an escalating reliance on nicotine just to feel 'normal', with alterations to brain pathways vital for learning, stress management, and self-regulation making quitting the habit seem impossible.
For me, the realisation that my relentless pursuit for that satisfying hit from my vape was actually causing more harm than good was a revelation. After immersing myself in a life-altering book, my mindset underwent a dramatic shift, empowering me to quit vaping for good.
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The initial 48 hours off the vape were torturous; I was besieged by an intense yearning for dopamine, fatigue set in, and my mood plummeted, leaving me longing for my beloved juicy peach-flavoured Lost Mary. Yet, by day five, a noticeable shift occurred - the fog in my brain cleared, my vigour returned, and it dawned on me that I had been veiled in a nicotine fog for far too long.
Kicking the habit was far from simple, but grasping the mechanics of addiction proved pivotal. Acknowledging that my vaping habit was merely a series of ephemeral pleasures followed by dissatisfaction altered my perspective on other vices, like alcohol and sugar.
Having silenced the "nicotine noise", I now celebrate one month without vaping. Here are some vital insights from 'Dopamine Nation' that ignited this change:.
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1. Minimise temptations.
2. Accept discomfort.
3. Opt for abstinence.
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4. Utilise prosocial shame.
Rather than concealing my battle, I informed my friends and family about my decision to quit. Knowing that they were observing and rooting for me provided a sense of accountability.
For those finding it tough to stop vaping, I can't recommend this book enough, priced at £9.55 on Amazon. It might just be what you need to break free overnight.
Additionally, the NHS offers valuable advice on quitting vaping.