New vapers guide - all you need to know

Vaping is a process that involves the use of a battery-operated device known as a 'vaping device', a 'vape', or an 'e-cigarette', by a user to inhale a vapour containing nicotine and flavours, similar to how you would inhale smoke from a cigarette. People who use a vaping device are often referred to as 'vapers'.

Vapes and vaping devices are popular amongst ex-smokers, as they are seen as a useful and easy to manage solution that can help them quit smoking cigarettes. More smokers than ever before are choosing vaping as the best way for them to stop smoking over other smoking cessation options. In fact, a clinical study led by the Queen Mary University of London concluded that vaping is almost twice as effective at helping smokers quit cigarettes compared to traditional nicotine replacement methods such as patches and gums.

As a whole, vaping is considered a much healthier alternative than smoking, because vapour from vape devices does not contain tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful substances in tobacco smoke.

How do vapes work?

A vaping device has four main components - a battery, an atomiser, an e-liquid pod, and a mouthpiece. Different styles of vape device have variations of these components, but most devices do exactly the same thing - they allow the user to inhale a vapour containing nicotine.

The vapour itself is generated by heating the e-liquid stored within the e-liquid pod. The e-liquid contains the nicotine and also has flavours added to make it taste better. The atomiser heats up the e-liquid when the user draws or inhales through the device, turning the liquid into a vapour, and then this vapour is inhaled by the user via the mouthpiece. A battery within the device powers this process.

Most vaping device types require you to replace or maintain some or all of these components, with some devices having a rechargeable battery, and others having a replaceable battery. Most devices require you to refill the e-liquid or replace the pod, and most require you to change the coil (part of the atomiser) from time to time.

In a disposable pod vape kit, all of these components are built in and contained within a plastic or metal body. In a pod vape kit, the pod (containing the atomizer and e-liquid) is replaceable.

What type of vaping product should I buy?

Your choice of vaping device will largely depend on your smoking habits and what you want from your vaping experience. If you value a more convenient, portable device for nights out and on-the-go vaping, you may opt for a vape with a lightweight and compact design such as a disposable vape.

If you're looking for something a little more eco-friendly, why not try a pod vape kit? Both disposable vapes and pod vape kits offer flexible nicotine options depending on the brand and flavour, allowing you to decide how much nicotine you consume.

A great starting point for most vapers are 'disposable vapes', so called because of their ease of use and the fact you don't need to worry about recharging, refilling or replacing any of the components. Disposable vapes offer a high-quality vaping experience without the complexity of mod and pod systems

Regardless of which device you go for, we recommend carrying out a little research into the main types of vaping devices. We have outlined the 7 main types below:

The different types of vape devices

Smoking is one of the leading causes of death and illness in the UK, with 78,000 deaths every year in the UK from smoking-related illnesses. This is due to the harmful chemicals such as tar and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke.

The addictive substance in cigarette smoke is nicotine, and whilst nicotine is a very addictive substance, according to the NHS, nicotine is relatively harmless. In fact, according to the Royal Society for the Public Health, nicotine is no more harmful to health than caffeine – found in tea, coffee, chocolate and soft drinks. When people decide to quit smoking, it is the withdrawal from this addictive substance that makes it more challenging.

Nicotine withdrawal has a significant impact on a person's well-being and impacts their ability to manage stress and their emotions. Triggers can cause someone to relapse easily, and impact other areas of their life such as their diet and family life.

Vaping is considered a much healthier alternative than smoking because vaping products contain up to 95% less harmful chemicals than cigarettes and don't produce tar and carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful substances in tobacco smoke.

A wide body of research so far shows that vaping can help people stop smoking. These claims are backed by bodies such as Public Health England, the NHS, Cancer Research UK and Action on Smoking and Health.

Where does vaping come in?

Nicotine replacement therapy is routinely offered by the NHS through their local stop smoking services, where a stop smoking advisor will work one-on-one with patients to help them quit smoking. Traditional methods such as nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalators, nasal sprays and nicotine tablets have played an important role in helping people quit smoking. However, recent studies have indicated that when vaping is combined with an expert one on one support they are much more effective at helping smokers quit.

As a result, the NHS routinely recommend e-cigarettes for nicotine replacement therapy via their stop smoking services. Vaping is not available on prescription, unlike other traditional nicotine replacement therapies. However, the MHRA, the UK Government body in charge of regulating medical devices have welcomed applications for medically licensed e-cigarettes, which is a huge vote of confidence in recognising the value of vaping to combat cigarette smoking.

What happens when you quit smoking?

When you quit smoking changes in your body happen within hours, with your pulse and oxygen levels beginning to normalise as your body recovers from carbon monoxide exposure. Within days your taste and smell improve along with your breathing and lung performance. You may even notice a considerable change in your energy levels, and as the weeks and months pass blood circulation will improve as well as any issues you may have had with coughing or wheezing. After one year, your risk of heart attack will have halved, and after ten years your risk of lung cancer will have halved.

Smokers do report increased cravings when giving up, but with the right nicotine replacement therapy, you can safely manage your nicotine levels to ensure your body doesn't experience withdrawal symptoms.

How to use vaping to quit?

The UK Vaping Industry Association recommends that smokers who smoke between 10 and 20 cigarettes per day, begin with a vaping device that has 18mg of nicotine content. This should closely replicate the nicotine content they experience with their current smoking habits. Over time it is recommended that you begin to lower the nicotine content and experiment with other flavours. With a view to trend downwards to a nicotine free disposable vape such as the Fantasia Grape or Red Wing from Doozy Nix.

The support of an NHS Stop Smoking Advisor can significantly improve your chances of quitting cigarettes, and you can contact an Advisor via your local NHS Stop Smoking Service. You can also download the free NHS Quit Smoking app supporting you along the way on your smoking free journey.

The UK has some of the strictest measures in place to regulate vaping products, according to Public Health England. Whilst there are ongoing discussions on the risks of vaping, there is an overall consensus that vaping is significantly safer than smoking and offers important benefits to people who want to improve their health and wellbeing by quitting cigarettes.

According to the British Heart Foundation, a 2019 study funded by BHF and conducted by the University of Dundee found that within one month of switching to vaping from cigarettes, measures of blood vessel health, including blood pressure and stiffness of arteries, had started to improve. Ongoing work is required to establish more clinical evidence, however, vaping is widely welcomed as an effective alternative to smoking cigarettes. Other work by ASH has also shown that evidence shows e-cigarettes can increase a smokers' change of quitting.

Vaping FAQs

How to choose the right e-liquid

E-liquid is the primary component that will dictate the quality of your vaping experience. There are three important elements to an e-liquid:

What is sub-ohm vaping?

An ohm is a unit of electrical resistance. This is relevant to vaping because the coil in the atomiser which heats the e-liquid has electrical resistance. Traditionally atomisers have carried a resistance of between 1 and 2 ohms. Sub-ohm vaping refers to vaping with a device where the coil's resistance is less than 1 ohm. This technology was developed in an effort to achieve faster currents and deliver higher volumes of vapour, resulting in much bigger vape clouds. Modern disposable and pod vapes usually use a higher resistance, as this provides a tighter draw and a more cigarette-like sensation.

What are DTL and MTL?

DTL and MTL refer to two different vaping styles, where DTL stands for 'direct to lung' and MTL stands for 'mouth to lung'. MTL is when you inhale from a vape into your mouth and then into your lungs, much similar to the way you would smoke a cigarette. DTL is when you inhale from a vaping device directly to your lungs, similar to taking a normal breath.

MTL style devices are better suited to beginners and smokers since their coils have higher resistance, meaning the vapour is created at cooler temperatures and a cooler, thinner vapour is produced. DTL utilises sub-ohm technology and creates more dense clouds, where the user inhales directly to their lungs. This can be a little overwhelming for new vapers, which is why most people opt for MTL vaping devices.

Both pod vape kits and disposable vapes tend to feature an MTL style system as this more accurately replicates the feeling of smoking a standard tobacco cigarette.

What is a coil & how often do I need to replace it?

The coil is one of the most important components of your vaping device. This is because the coil is the part that heats the e-liquid and creates the vapour. Without the coil, there would be no vaping device.

The coil is wrapped around a wicking material in a spiral shape and is connected to the positive and negative ends of your battery. When you inhale, the battery will engage the coil, heating it up. The heated coil causes the e-liquid saturated in the wick material to heat up, creating the vapour.

Experienced vapours will use sub-ohm coils for lower resistance and more vapour (see above). With disposable vapes and pod vape kits, you don't have to replace the coil as they are built in, however, on other vaping devices, you will need to replace the coil every 1-4 weeks. You may notice an unusual taste or the e-liquid begins to leak, which are both signs your coil needs replaced.