Vaping
How do you quit vaping?
Short answer
To quit vaping, pick a quit date no more than a week or two away, write down your reasons, learn your triggers, and line up support. In the U.S., trained quit coaches at 1-800-QUIT-NOW help at no cost, and texting QUIT to 47848 starts SmokefreeTXT. The FDA has not approved nicotine replacement or other medicines specifically for quitting vaping, so ask a doctor whether medication might suit you.
Key takeaways
- Smokefree.gov suggests picking a quit date no more than a week or two away.
- Triggers differ by person, such as stress or seeing other people vape; plan how you will handle each one.
- Trained quit coaches at 1-800-QUIT-NOW help at no cost, and texting QUIT to 47848 starts SmokefreeTXT.
- The FDA has not approved NRT, varenicline or bupropion to help people quit vaping; a doctor can advise whether medication might help.
- If you vape to stay off cigarettes, the NHS says to quit vaping only when you are confident you can do it without smoking.
How do you prepare to quit vaping?
Smokefree.gov says the first step to quitting vaping is picking a quit date, and it suggests one no more than a week or two away. Use the days before it to get ready.
Write down every reason you want to quit and keep the list somewhere you will see it often, such as on your phone. Tell the people close to you that you are quitting and ask for the specific kinds of support you want.
- Pick a quit date no more than a week or two away
- List your reasons for quitting and keep them visible
- Tell friends and family, and say what help you want
- Get rid of your vapes and plan vape-free places to spend quit day
How do you deal with vaping triggers and cravings?
Triggers are the things that make you want to vape. They differ from person to person, but common ones include stressful situations, seeing other people vape, scrolling on your phone, drinking coffee or taking a break at work. Knowing yours lets you avoid some and plan a response for the rest.
Cravings are temporary. Health Canada says that if you resist and delay, a craving will only last a few minutes, and that over time cravings become fewer, shorter and weaker. When one hits, Smokefree.gov suggests switching to a different activity, taking a quick walk, texting someone supportive, or breathing in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth 10 times.
Should you cut down first or stop all at once?
Both are options. The NHS describes cutting down by lowering your e-liquid's nicotine strength over time, stretching the time between vaping sessions, and creating vape-free places or times. Health Canada similarly suggests reducing the nicotine in your vaping liquid or the number of sessions as your quit date gets closer. If you would rather stop in one step, the NHS suggests switching to a suitable nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product.
Evidence on cutting down as a route to quitting vaping is still limited: a 2025 Cochrane review described the data on nicotine or vaping reduction as inconclusive.
What free support and medicines can help you quit vaping?
In the U.S., trained quit coaches at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) offer confidential help at no cost, and 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848) also connects you with a tobacco cessation counselor. Smokefree.gov's quit-vaping guide suggests SmokefreeTXT too: text QUIT to 47848 to join its 6-8 week quit-smoking text program. A 2025 Cochrane review found low-certainty evidence that text-message support may help people aged 13 to 24 stop vaping.
The FDA has not approved NRT, varenicline or bupropion to help people quit vaping, but Smokefree.gov says to talk with a doctor or other health care professional if you are struggling. CDC notes a provider may suggest medicines to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings. In the UK, the NHS says Nicorette QuickMist is currently the only approved NRT for quitting vaping. If you are under 18, the FDA says to speak to a doctor before using quit products.
What if you started vaping to quit smoking?
The NHS says the healthiest option is not to smoke or vape, so people who vape to quit smoking should aim to eventually stop vaping too. It also says to quit vaping only when you are confident you can do it without smoking, and that if you have been using a vape to stop smoking, going back to vaping is much better than starting to smoke again.
How Vow can help
Vow builds a personalized quit plan from your triggers, toughest times and reason for quitting, and it brings that reason back, in your own words, when cravings hit. Craving Shield (Premium) guides you through an urge-surfing timer of about 3 minutes with breathing modes, and if you slip, it is logged without shame and your best streak is kept.
Sources
Each source below was read when this answer was reviewed. Open a source to see the passages the answer relies on.
Smokefree.gov — Get Ready to Quit Vapingsmokefree.gov
The first step to quitting vaping is to pick a date to quit.
Pick a date that is no more than a week or two away.
Make a list of all the reasons that you want to quit vaping and put it somewhere you'll see it regularly, like on your phone.
Tell your team that you're quitting vaping and ask for their support.
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or 1-877-44U-QUIT (877-448-7848) to talk with a tobacco cessation counselor.
Try SmokefreeTXT by signing up online or texting QUIT to 47848, or download a free quit smoking app.
Open the sourceSmokefree.gov — Know Your Vaping Triggerssmokefree.gov
Triggers are the things that make you want to vape. They differ by person, but include things like dealing with a stressful situation or seeing other people vape.
Open the sourceHealth Canada (Canada.ca) — Quitting vapingcanada.ca
You may get cravings to vape, but if you resist and delay vaping, the craving will only last a few minutes. Over time, the cravings will become fewer, shorter, and weaker.
If you want to cut back gradually, you can slowly reduce the amount of nicotine in your vaping liquid or the number of sessions/hits you vape as you move closer to your quit date.
Open the sourceSmokefree.gov — Dealing With Vape Cravingssmokefree.gov
Pause to breathe. Breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth. Repeat this 10 times to help you relax until the craving passes.
Open the sourceNHS Better Health — How to quit vapingnhs.uk
Lower the nicotine strength: Check your e-liquid's nicotine content (mg/ml) and gradually reduce it over time
Increase the time between vaping sessions: If you normally vape every 20 minutes, try to extend that time and only vape every 40 minutes instead
Create vape-free spaces: Pick places or times where you won't vape, like at work or inside certain rooms in your home
switch to a suitable nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product
Right now, Nicorette® QuickMist is the only approved NRT for quitting vaping.
You should only quit vaping if you are confident you can do it without smoking cigarettes.
If you've been using a vape to help you stop smoking, going back to vaping is much better than starting to smoke again.
Open the sourceCochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (via PMC) — Interventions for quitting vaping (2025 update)pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Data exploring the effectiveness of combination NRT, cytisine, and nicotine/vaping behaviour reduction are inconclusive due to risk of bias and imprecision.
Low‐certainty evidence (due to indirectness) that text message‐based interventions may increase vaping cessation rates compared to no/minimal support in 13‐ to 24‐year‐olds specifically
Open the sourceCDC — Vaping and Quittingcdc.gov
Trained quit coaches are available via 1-800-QUIT-NOW to provide confidential help at no cost to callers.
Talk to your health care provider about tools and resources you can use to help you quit. They may suggest medications to help you manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Open the sourceSmokefree.gov — SmokefreeTXT Quit Smoking Text Programsmokefree.gov
The program lasts for 6-8 weeks.
Open the sourceSmokefree.gov — Nicotine Withdrawal and Vapingsmokefree.gov
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved these medications to help people quit vaping, but if you are struggling with quitting, talk with your doctor or another health care professional
Medications like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), varenicline, and bupropion are used to help people quit smoking cigarettes.
Open the sourceU.S. FDA — Want to Quit Smoking? FDA-Approved and FDA-Cleared Cessation Products Can Helpfda.gov
If you're considering using a smoking cessation product and are under age 18, speak to a doctor before using these products.
Open the sourceNHS Better Health — Vaping to quit smokingnhs.uk
The healthiest option is not to smoke or vape. So, if you are vaping to quit smoking, you should aim to eventually stop vaping too.
Open the source
This page is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace care from a qualified professional. If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. Vow is not a medical service.