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Vaping
There are lots of reasons you might be thinking about vaping, get the advice and information you need to decide what’s best for you.
What is vaping?
Vaping is when someone uses a vape or e-cigarette to inhale vapour containing nicotine. They sometimes come in different flavours.
Many people start vaping to try and quit smoking, but this isn’t always the case. Vaping can be less harmful than cigarettes, but it is still addictive and isn’t considered completely harmless.
If you’re vaping, thinking about vaping or you’re feeling pressured to vape then it can help to talk about it.
Is vaping addictive?
Yes. Vaping contains nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug. This means that your body and brain will start to feel uncomfortable without the drug, and it can make it harder to stop.
People can become addicted to nicotine even when they don’t use it every day.
5 facts about vaping:
- Vaping can be as addictive as cigarettes
- Some people use vaping to help them quit smoking
- It's against the law to sell nicotine products to anyone under 18
- If you want to quit, it can help to get support
- If you're worried about vaping, you can talk to us
Vaping and the law
In the UK, it’s illegal for anyone to sell nicotine vapes to someone who’s under 18. It’s also against the law for someone to buy nicotine vapes for someone who’s under 18.
Single use vapes are banned in the UK. That means it’s against the law for anyone to sell a single use vape, regardless of age.
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GIVE UP
Quitting vaping
Vapes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can make it harder to stop. But there are lots of things you can do to help you quit, and it does get easier over time.
There are lots of things that can help you quit vaping:
Remove temptations
Getting rid of anything you use to vape can make it easier to avoid temptation and is a good way to commit to quitting.
It can help to plan for situations or places when you’ll struggle with cravings. These could be particular times of day or places that you go to. You can try to avoid them, or if you can’t it can help to think about ways to distract yourself or keep your hands busy when it’s getting tough.
Get help
Having people around you to support you when you’re quitting can make a big difference.
Tell people you trust that you’re quitting so they know to support you and help with cravings.
You can also speak to a Childline counsellor for support.
Find other ways to cope with stress
Feeling stressed can make it harder to cope with cravings, especially when you’re used to vaping when you’re feeling that way. There are always other ways to cope.
There’s no single way to cope with stress, it can take time to find what works for you. Try these ideas to get you started:
- Keep active and exercise
Keeping active can help boost your mood and can be a good way to take a break when you need to. - Try calming activities
Focusing on your breathing or doing something relaxing can help you to cope with stress and during the cravings. Even taking a few minutes can help. You can get ideas for things to do from the Calm Zone. - Do something to distract yourself
Taking a break for a few minutes can help to take your mind off things and give you something else to focus on. You could do something you enjoy, something that takes a lot of concentration, or get ideas using our coping kit. - Talk about what's happening
Tell someone you trust when you're feeling stressed, talking about things can help them seem less overwhelming. Not sure who to talk to? You can always speak to us. - Write things down
Get things out by writing down what's happening and how it's making you feel. You could write things just for yourself or you could write a message to a Childline counsellor to get a reply
Reward yourself
Celebrating going a day, week or longer without vaping can be a great way to remind yourself to keep going and give you something to look forward to.
You could plan small things to do that you’ll enjoy, or set rewards for yourself each day.
Keep trying
It can take time to quit and lots of people don’t make it the first time they try. Remember, that you can keep trying, even if you haven’t been able to stop completely before.
Try to write down and remember the reasons you want to stop vaping, use that to help you keep trying if you do vape again or you’re struggling with the cravings.
Coping with peer pressure
There are lots of reasons you might feel pressured to vape. You might see others enjoying it, want to do it to fit in or have other people tell you it’s something to do.
It’s not okay for other people to pressure you do to something like vaping or using other drugs.
If you’re struggling with peer pressure, there are a few things you can do:
- Practice being assertive: Being assertive isn’t the same as being aggressive or rude, it means saying what you want clearly and with confidence. Saying what you want can help people to understand it’s your choice, and we’ve got tips to help.
- Build your confidence: Feeling confident about yourself can make it easier to know what you want without feeling pressured by other people. It can take time to build your confidence, and we’ve got lots of ideas to help you do it.
- Talk to someone outside the situation: It can feel hard to talk about what you want when everyone around you is vaping. You can always talk to us about what you want and how vaping makes you feel.
- Take time away from people: If someone is making you feel bad about yourself or like you need to do things that you don’t want to, then it’s okay to take time away from them to focus on yourself and what you want without that pressure.
Worrying about someone else
If someone’s vaping and it bothers you or you’re worried about them, it’s important to think carefully about how or if you want to talk to them about it. You can’t always change someone’s mind about whether or not to vape, but it’s okay to tell them how you’re feeling about it.
If you decide to talk to them then it can help to think about what you want to say, how it’s affecting you and why you might want them to stop. Try to think about a time when neither of you will be stressed and you won’t be disturbed.
Remember, the other person may not want to change anything but whatever happens, you can talk to us about it.
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