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Stoptober is your time to quit smoking. See how vaping can you help quit smoking this October and what you need to get started on your quitting journey.
What is Stoptober? Tips On How to Quit Smoking
Get ready for the 28-day stop smoking challenge this October.
If you’re a smoker who is looking to quit, or has tried before, now is your time to get on the wagon. Each October in the UK plays host to the Stoptober challenge and even if you haven’t thought of quitting before, now should be time to think about doing so. We’re here to help you through the challenge that thousands of people have completed before. Let’s break down what the challenge is and how you can gear up for Stoptober and get yourself on the journey to quitting for good.
What is Stoptober?
At its core, Stoptober is a major annual event in the UK to encourage smokers to quit for 28 days in October, with the aim of quitting smoking permanently. Research has shown that if you stop smoking for 28 days then you are 5 times more likely to quit the habit for good. Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your health, and those around you, and the benefits don’t just stop there.
Read more on what happens when you quit smoking.
Read more on vaping vs smoking.
Read more on why quitting is important.
What Stoptober also does is help raise awareness of the problems of smoking, and the alternatives that can be used to help you quit. Even if you haven’t thought about quitting smoking, Stoptober can be your chance to try it out and notice the difference.
What you need to take part in Stoptober
The first step can often feel like the hardest one, especially if you’re not sure where to start. So let’s break down what you need to do to take part in this year’s Stoptober challenge.
Firstly, decide on how you are going to go about quitting. The NHS offers a variety of stop smoking methods that can help, along with some great apps to help you along the way. Many people nowadays choose vaping as a method of quitting smoking, as it offers a similar approach to smoking whilst delivering nicotine to fight the cravings. Research has also touted vaping as such a popular stop smoking method, that it is often more useful than other, traditional NRTs (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) like gum or patches.
The next step is preparation. If you’re planning on using E-Cigarettes as a method to help you quit smoking, then you’ll need to purchase some products. Disposable vapes offer a great initial starting point for new vapers making the switch, as they are cheap, easy to use and require no prior knowledge to be of benefit.
Alternatively, a pod vaping kit is a great first-time option as they are easy to use and maintain, and gives you more variety with your type of vape liquid, flavours and even your style of vaping (depending on the customisability of your kit). Do a little research to find which suits you best and then buy some in advance to make sure you’re ready for October. It doesn’t hurt to try it beforehand, in fact, it’s great if you do, you can get a grasp of what works best for you. Just make sure that once the first day of October hits, you’re ready with your quit-smoking tools at hand and your house is thoroughly tobacco-free.
It may seem obvious but you’ll need motivation which can sometimes be hard to find or keep up with. To do so make yourself a list of the reasons why you want to quit, who you are quitting for (be it yourself, your friends, your family), and what benefits you want to get from quitting (better health, more savings etc). Keep that list visible in places where you can easily see it so that when you might feel unmotivated, you can re-familiarise yourself with why you’re doing it in the first place. Make sure to talk to your friends and family about it too; you’d be surprised how much it can help to know that you have people rooting for you during the challenge!
One of the biggest problems quitters have is dealing with their nicotine cravings. This is why Nicotine Replacement Therapies and vaping work so well because they help meet the nicotine cravings. When using vaping as a method to quit smoking, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting enough nicotine to cancel out the cravings. For this reason, you need to establish the strength of E-Liquid/vape that you will need.
The general rule of thumb is that those who smoke 20 cigarettes or more a day will prefer an 18-20mg/ml strength, while moderate smokers will see benefit from 11mg/ml strength E-Liquids. Light smokers will more than likely meet their cravings with 3mg/ml nicotine strengths. The best type of vape juice a smoker can use are those with nicotine salts. This is because they allow for a stronger nicotine hit whilst being gentler on your throat.
The last thing you want when trying to satisfy your nicotine cravings is to be irritating your throat with harsh E-Liquids. Try Pod Salt nicotine salts to get the best start on your quitting journey; we even offer disposable devices with our premium nicotine salts for a convenient, quick vape.
After Stoptober ends…
The key to keeping up with your quitting journey is commitment. Having completed 28 days smokefree is certainly a feat and you should be proud of yourself! It’s also long enough for you to have developed new habits and hopefully, lessened your smoking habit. The biggest takeaway is to not let it stop there. Once Stoptober has ended you are likely to have found the method that works best for you, and even if you’re still not quite sure, there’s still plenty of room for trial and effort. But by keeping up with quitting journey you’ve taken big steps towards a healthier and happier life.
If you find vaping has helped you get to the end, you may want to look into more sustainable methods of vaping. This could include getting an open-pod kit (which includes refillable pods so that you can branch out to new flavours, brands and nicotine strengths), or perhaps even a refillable tank kit. These require more maintenance but many soon find it becomes a new hobby of theirs. And eventually, you can begin to lower your nicotine level until eventually you no longer need nicotine, and can quit vaping to complete your quitting journey.
From all of Pod Salt, we wish you the very best of luck on your Stoptober challenge ahead – you can do this, and we’ll be here with you every step of the way. If you’re new to vaping and want to make the switch this Stoptober but are still unsure, contact us for tips and more information on relevant vaping equipment. Keep posted on our blog for more Stoptober posts to see you through this challenge.
