Why Do People Fail at Vaping?
By Jemma Wolfe
Published: 25-08-23
How to Stick at Vaping - A Guide for Beginners
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why am I Struggling with Vaping?
- Tips for How to Stick at Vaping
- How to Stick at Vaping - Our Verdict
- Quit Smoking with myCigara
- Recommended Reads
Why do people fail at vaping? It’s perhaps not the first question that comes to mind when you think of vaping, but “failing” at vaping can be a real issue for a lot of people. to keep things clear, when we talking about failing at vaping this is what we mean: someone starts vaping as a way to try and quit smoking, they can’t get the hang of vaping or it feels wrong somehow, and they end up relapsing to smoking cigarettes
Of course, we would urge you not to think of any quit smoking attempt in terms of failure.
We often refer to the idea of a quit smoking journey for a reason; it truly is a journey, it’s not a straight line from a to z, it’s a process that often requires multiple attempts. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to switching to vaping and stopping smoking for good. That being said, it isn’t a journey without certain well-trod routes to success. Often, failing to stick to vaping is the result of not properly planning, or simply not getting in the right headspace — and this is something more fixable.
This blog is simply to be intended as a handy, quick reference guide for anyone on any stage of their quit smoking journey, whether it’s their first attempt or their fifteenth. The first part of this blog will take a look at some of the most common reasons as to why people struggle to acclimatise to vaping, before then looking at a few handy tips and tricks for a more successful quit smoking attempt.
Why am I Struggling with Vaping?
If you feel like you’re struggling with vaping, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone; it takes a while to adjust, and most people new to vaping need some time to adjust. That being said, many beginners often encounter the same problems, many of which can easily be solved once you know what to look for.
Using the wrong type of vape kit
Although e-cigarettes and vape kits more broadly were designed as replacements for traditional cigarettes, that doesn’t mean all vape kits are created equal. Some vape kits are designed for a smoother throat hit, others are meant to deliver massive, thick clouds, and others still fall somewhere in between.
In general, for people starting out with vaping, we would always recommend vape starter kits.
This is an umbrella term that simply refers to beginner-friendly e-cigarettes — this can include disposable vapes, pen-style vape kits, or even certain pod vape kits.
To get a better sense of your options, check out our recent blog on the best vape starter kits for 2023.
Wrong type of eliquid
Similarly to the issue of using an ill-suited e-cigarette, some beginners make the mistake of using the wrong kind of e-liquid. As with vape kits, not all eliquids are created equal, and—likewise—user-friendly e liquid is grouped under the name starter e-liquids.
Typically, the common traits of starter eliquids are that they are milder on the throat and create smaller clouds in comparison to more advanced eliquid. For a more in-depth breakdown, check out two of our blogs: what is an eliquid, and our guide on how to choose an eliquid.
Wrong nicotine strength
Choosing an eliquid with the wrong nicotine strength is a common mistake. After all, most cigarette smokers don’t choose their brand based on nicotine strength, nor do they tend to think about a smoking habit in terms of how much nicotine they’re taking in.
Choosing the right nicotine strength is mostly about matching your previous smoking habit; the more heavily you smoke, the higher the nicotine content you’ll need. For a more in-depth look, have a browse of our nicotine strength calculator.
The two issues people tend to face with eliquid nicotine strength is going too strong or too weak. Too high a strength can cause dizziness and nausea, same as overdoing it on cigarettes. By contrast, an eliquid that’s too weak won’t curb nicotine cravings, putting you at risk for returning to cigarettes to get your fix.
Incorrect technique
Another changeover from smoking to vaping is getting the right technique. This remains a less remarked upon facet of vaping, but one that can make a huge difference.
Many new vapers will continue to vape as if they were still smoking; quick, short, sharp puffs. The additional chemicals present in cigarette tobacco mean that this will still give the intended nicotine kick.
By contrast, nicotine uptake from vaping is slower, and thus requires deeper, more measured hits to get the desired effect.
Alongside providing the requisite nicotine hit, this will also produce a smoother and more pleasant throat hit.
Adjusting expectations for vaping
In general, beyond perhaps purchasing the wrong types of vape products, one of the biggest hurdles for beginners is not getting in the right headspace when starting.
Quitting smoking requires some level of commitment; there will always be challenges along that road, the trick is working to overcome them. We’ve gone into depth on how to tackle the transition with our blog on what to expect when switching from smoking to vaping, so we won’t go into too much depth here. Just remember that certain physical side effects like coughing, headache, dizziness, and dry mouth are all super-common, a normal part of the transition phase, and — crucially — will pass in time.
Now that we’ve gone through some of the main reasons why people struggle with vaping, let’s take a more positive stance and examine some handy tips that can help you stick with vaping — and hopefully manage to quit smoking for good.
Tips for How to Stick at Vaping
As mentioned earlier in this blog, having the right attitude is a key part of how to stick with vaping; knowing that there will be challenges, being willing to face and overcome those challenges, exhibiting commitment and tenacity — which also mean being able to forgive yourself if you backslide.
Nonetheless, there are still a few general tips that can help you stay the course — we’ll examine them now.
Embrace Dual Use
Since we mentioned being able to forgive yourself if you fall off the smoke-free wagon, let’s talk about dual use, a subject previously broached in our blog on accidental quitting. As the name hints at, dual use simply means to switch between vaping and smoking depending on the context.
Self-aware smokers will know that there are certain social or situational triggers which really up the desire for a cigarette.
In the quit smoking journey, these triggers can be seen as a pitfall — but, dual use allows a partial solution to this issue.
By using e-cigarettes in other, less triggering situations, you’ll acclimate yourself to reaching for your vape rather than your cigarettes when you get a craving.
Eventually, you’ll likely find that you’re needing to turn to your old cigarettes less and less frequently.
Plus, dual use can help you develop a positive mindset during the earlier stages of quitting smoking; rather than thinking how bad it is that you caved and had one cigarette, you can instead praise yourself for each instance in which you instead had a vape rather than a smoke.
Try out different vape kits
On a similar note to dual use, trying out different vape kits can be a handy way to help you along your quit smoking journey. We don’t necessarily mean having a range of different devices to hand — although there’s nothing wrong with that!
What we mean is that many beginners find that their initial vape kit doesn’t seem to be hitting the spot, and then automatically assume that the issue is with vaping in general, or a personal failing, the mindset of “vaping isn’t right for me.”
The fact of the matter is, vape kits come in a wide range of shapes and sizes; they have different looks, feel differently in your hand, have varied mouthpieces that feel different when you puff on them.
For anyone struggling to get used to vaping, sometimes a bit of trial and error is required to find your goldilocks device.
On the other hand, you may in fact opt to be the happy owner and user of several vape kits; an at-home kit, an at-work kit, a commute kit, a travel kit — there are heaps of options. After all, every vape user is different, every vape kit is different, and the situations that trigger your vape desire may be different from each other. Play the field, and you may be surprised at what you find.
Try out different eliquid flavours
As a little addendum to the previous point, sometimes hitting the spot with your vaping setup is as easy as switching up flavours. Could be that you like your device, you like the type of eliquid you're using, the strength is satisfying enough, but there’s a lack of deep, abiding satisfaction.
Especially if you’re very new to vaping, we’d recommend grabbing a few different flavours to try in tandem.
Some like to ease the transition with classic tobacco flavours, others like to stay fresh with menthol and mint profiles, others still like to break the smoking association with a switch to fruity or sweet flavours.
As with devices, there’s a huge variety of eliquid flavours available; you may find yourself wanting to mix things up, whether on a weekly or daily basis, or even during different times of the day.
Our customers often tell us that one of the best things they’ve discovered about using vaping to quit smoking is that it lets them enjoy a broader palette of profiles, making vaping something that can stay fresh and exciting for longer.
Check out vaping alternatives
Time was, ditching cigarettes used to mean battling it out cold turkey, or hoping for the best with gum and patches. Anyone looking to quit smoking in this day and age has a variety of options available — in addition to vaping.
We’re not saying you should abandon vaping entirely, but if you want to play the field even further, it’s definitely worth checking out vaping alternatives. For a smoother transition from smoking, you could check out heated tobacco. Or, enjoy the hands-free and discreet convenience of nicotine pouches.
How to Stick at Vaping - Our Verdict
As discussed, struggling with vaping is very normal. Something to always bear in mind is that you’re not alone; odds are that whatever challenge you’re facing, other new vapers are currently facing it, and even more vape users have already faced and overcome those challenges.
Even so, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. Relapsing to cigarettes isn’t the end of the world, you just have to keep going. Eventually, most people will find that vaping overtakes smoking as their go-to method for nicotine.
In time, it’s likely that you’ll simply stop even considering cigarettes as an option.
Switching to vaping doesn’t just mean getting used to vaping, it also means quitting smoking. This, as we’ve written before, isn’t just one of the hardest things you can do — it’s also one of the best. Finally quitting smoking? That’s a goal worth struggling for.
Quit Smoking with myCigara
At myCigara, we exist to make the UK smoke-free. It’s our belief that vaping is one of the best alternatives available to anyone wishing to quit smoking successfully.
That’s why we’re dedicated to building one of the best libraries of vaping blogs and guides on the internet, all in service of educating audiences about the potential of vaping and allowing them to make an informed decision about their own quit smoking journey. Beyond the information found in our vaping blogs and tips & guides pages, you can contact us directly with any questions and we’ll make sure to point you in the right direction.
If you prefer an in-person chat, drop in to your nearest myCigara vape shop, where our expert store staff are ready and waiting to help you get started on your own quit smoking journey.
