Vaping

Nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, although it is not completely risk-free.

Vapes do not burn tobacco or produce tar and carbon monoxide – two of the most harmful substances in cigarette smoke. Switching completely from smoking to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to the chemicals that cause cancer, lung disease, heart attack and stroke.

Nicotine from tobacco is addictive, but it is not the main cause of smoking-related disease. It has been used safely for many years in stop-smoking products such as patches, gum and lozenges.

Vaping provides nicotine without burning tobacco. This can reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, low mood and difficulty concentrating.

Some people also find vaping helpful because the hand-to-mouth action and sensation are similar to smoking.

Using a vape alongside support from a trained stop-smoking adviser gives you a better chance of quitting successfully.

A simple reusable pod device or vape pen can be a good place to start. Buy from a reputable retailer and ask for advice if you are unsure which device to choose.

It is important to use an e-liquid with enough nicotine to manage your cravings. How much you need will depend on how often and how much you smoke.

Use your vape every day and as often as you need to avoid smoking. Do not worry if you vape more frequently than you previously smoked – this is normal because vaping delivers nicotine differently.

Many stop smoking services can get you started with a free vape starter kit.

You will not get the full benefit from vaping unless you stop smoking cigarettes completely. There are still significant health risks from smoking only a couple of cigarettes a day, increasing the risk of lung cancer and heart disease.

It can take time to switch completely. Keep trying and get support if you need it.

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for you and your baby.

Nicotine replacement products such as patches and gum are usually the recommended option during pregnancy, though Vapes are increasingly being used in pregnancy as a quit aid. They are significantly less harmful to health than cigarettes and studies suggest that the safety of vapes for use in pregnancy is similar to that of nicotine patches.

Speak to your midwife or stop smoking advisor, they can help you choose what’s best for you and even provide a free vape starter kit.

Vaping does not produce tobacco smoke. Current evidence suggests that any risk to other people from vape aerosol is small compared with the serious risks from secondhand cigarette smoke.

However, vaping is not completely risk-free. As a precaution, avoid vaping around babies and children, and be considerate around people with asthma, breathing difficulties or other health conditions.

Always follow rules about where vaping is permitted.

Once you feel confident that you will not return to smoking, you can gradually:

• reduce the nicotine strength of your e-liquid;
• increase the time between vaping; or
• create vape-free times and places

Make one change at a time and do not rush. If you start vaping much more after reducing your nicotine strength, you may have cut down too quickly.

If reducing or stopping vaping makes you want to smoke, return to the nicotine strength or vaping pattern that was working for you. Staying smokefree is the priority. A stop-smoking adviser or pharmacist can also help you gradually move from vaping to nicotine replacement products.

It has been illegal to sell or supply single-use disposable vapes in the UK since 1 June 2025. This was introduced to reduce waste, litter and fires caused by discarded batteries.

Vaping has not been banned. Reusable vapes that can be recharged and refilled remain available, including devices that use replaceable pre-filled pods.

A reputable vape retailer or stop-smoking adviser can help you switch to a reusable device.

Using pouches is likely to be less harmful than smoking tobacco, but more research is needed into their effectiveness as a quit aid.