Switchtober Conclusion: Stay Cloudy!

It’s estimated that over a quarter of a million people have taken part in Stoptober and if you set out to cut down on cigarettes or quit smoking with e-cigarettes this month, it’s time to look back and reflect on the monumental achievement that you’ve undertaken. The hardest part may be over, but it’s important to remember to stay focused and continue on your trajectory towards a healthier lifestyle. Staying on this path is easy if you remember our Switchtober tips which hopefully helped you throughout the month, but let’s have a quick recap so that these tips can be fresh in your memory!

Quitter's Checklist

• Hide your tobacco cigarettes, or if you’ve managed to quit completely, bin them!
• Keep trying different juices. There are hundreds of amazing e liquid flavours out there so it could take some time to find the best e liquid to suit your flavour preferences.
• Consider upgrading your kit! If you’re interested in blowing bigger vape clouds or enjoying greater flavour from your vape, try switching to sub-ohm vaping.
• Remember why you started! If you find yourself hankering for a cigarette, remember why you switched in the first place and think about how far you’ve come.
• Ignore the haters. Vaping often gets a bit of a bashing from poorly informed media outlets. Fortunately, the UK government’s own department of health, Public Health England, and other public health bodies such as Cancer Research UK actually support vaping as an effective smoking cessation method and have backed up their stance with a few very positive facts!
• Find solidarity in other vapers. Every vaper can tell you about their journey in switching from tobacco to e-cigs. If you feel the temptation to pick up a cigarette, it’s easy to find inspiration from other vapers whether on online forums, in your local vape shop or in friends who vape. It’s estimated that there are at least 2.6 million (figures from Public Health England) of us in the UK alone!
• Enjoy your healthier lifestyle! In a recent article on men’s health published in the Irish Independent, renowned TV doctor Michael Mosely stated that ‘males who give up smoking at the age of 40 could add up to 10 years to their life expectancy’ and that ‘you won’t spend the last decade of your life coughing your guts out’.
• Think about the financial benefits! The average cost of vaping is around £30 per month whereas the average cost of a 5-a-day smoking habit is £46 per month (current NHS figure). Switching from a 5-a-day smoking habit to vaping would save you roughly £192 per year! If you smoke(d) more than 5-a-day then that saving could be significantly greater!

Finally, it’s important to think about how your smoking habit affects or affected those around you, not just you. A healthier lifestyle can be key to reviving relationships with your loved ones and that, fellow vapers, is priceless!