It usually begins as something that feels lighter than smoking. A flavoured pod passed around at a braai, a sleek device that slips into a pocket and leaves no smell on your clothes. A few months later, the vape has become the first thing many users reach for in the morning and the last thing they put down at night.
If you are searching for how to stop vaping, you are far from alone, and the struggle you may be experiencing says nothing about a lack of willpower. It is the predictable result of how these products are designed. This guide explains why a vape can be so difficult to give up, what current research reveals about its effects on the body, and which strategies give South Africans the best chance of quitting for good.
Why a vape can be harder to quit than cigarettes
A cigarette has a beginning and an end. Once it burns down, the moment is over, and lighting another one requires a deliberate decision. A vape offers no such pause. It can be used at a desk, in the car or in bed, a few puffs at a time, so that nicotine reaches the brain in small and frequent doses from morning to night. Over the weeks, the brain adapts to this steady supply and begins to protest whenever it drops.
Many recent devices also rely on nicotine salts, a formulation that makes high concentrations feel smooth on the throat. The harshness that once acted as a natural brake on smoking has largely disappeared, which allows users to absorb far more nicotine than they realise.
Then comes the ritual. Lifting the device, the inhalation, the visible cloud: each gesture gradually attaches itself to precise moments of the day, such as the first coffee, a break at work or an evening spent scrolling on the phone. Stopping therefore means confronting two challenges at once, a chemical dependence on one side and a web of deeply rooted habits on the other. Researchers at the University of Cape Town noticed that many young users do not recognise their own dependence even while experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which goes a long way towards explaining why so many attempts collapse within the first few days.
What vaping does to your body, according to research
Vaping is often presented as the safer choice. Compared with cigarettes, it does expose the body to fewer of the toxic products released by combustion. Fewer, however, does not mean none. A systematic review published in 2025 in Tobacco Induced Diseases found moderate-certainty evidence that people who vape without ever having smoked face a higher risk of respiratory symptoms, asthma, lung inflammation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than people who use neither product.
A review led by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, published in August 2026, linked vaping among young people to coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms and asthma attacks, while also pointing to possible associations with anxiety, poor sleep and oral health problems. Nicotine itself raises heart rate and blood pressure. In teenagers and young adults, whose brains continue to develop until their mid-twenties, it can also affect attention, memory and the regulation of mood.
The serious lung injuries known as EVALI, reported in the United States in 2019, were mostly associated with products containing THC or illicit additives. They nevertheless serve as a reminder that the contents of a vape do not always match its label, particularly in a market where regulation remains limited. Honest science acknowledges that the long-term effects of vaping are still being studied. Waiting several decades for a definitive answer, as the world once did with cigarettes, is a gamble few people would knowingly choose to take with their own lungs.
Vaping among South African teenagers
South Africa offers a striking illustration of how quickly the habit takes hold. A study led by the University of Cape Town and published in late 2024 in The Lancet‘s eClinicalMedicine, covering more than 25,000 learners across 52 schools, found that 16.8% of high school pupils had vaped during the previous 30 days. Among Grade 12 learners, the figure climbed to 29.5%, and it reached 46% in some schools.
The degree of dependence surprised the researchers themselves. Around 88% of young vapers were using products containing nicotine, almost half reached for their device within an hour of waking, and the team estimated that up to 60% showed signs of strong dependence. The lead author, pulmonologist Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, observed that this level of nicotine dependence had never been encountered with cigarettes among teenagers.
Adults are not spared either. Many of those who turned to vaping in order to move away from cigarettes describe a similar trap: the device that was meant to be a stepping stone gradually becomes a habit in its own right, sometimes used alongside the very cigarettes it was supposed to replace.
How to stop vaping: a plan for the first week
Most failed attempts share one feature: they rely on a vague intention rather than a plan. The following steps turn the decision into something concrete enough to survive the first cravings.
Set a quit date
Pick a date within the next two weeks, ideally a period without exams, deadlines or major social events. Some people prefer to stop completely on that day, while others lower the nicotine strength of their liquid over several weeks before stopping. Both approaches can succeed. What matters is a fixed end point, because tapering without a deadline has a way of drifting on indefinitely.
Know your triggers
During the days leading up to your quit date, note when and why you vape. Patterns emerge quickly: after meals, behind the wheel, during stressful calls, late at night. Each trigger deserves a planned response, whether that means a short walk after lunch, sugar-free gum in the car or simply leaving your phone, and every reminder of the device, outside the bedroom.
Clear out devices and refills
A spare disposable forgotten in a drawer has ended many promising attempts. Throw away devices, pods, liquids and chargers the evening before you stop, and let the people around you know what you are doing. Friends who vape will usually respect the decision if you state it clearly, and a partner or colleague who knows can offer encouragement at the right moment.
Get through the first 72 hours
Irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, disturbed sleep and a larger appetite are all common in the early days. According to addiction specialists, these symptoms tend to peak during the first three days before easing progressively. Each craving, however intense it feels, usually passes within a few minutes. Drinking water, breathing slowly, moving your body or changing rooms can be enough to let the wave go by. Our article on managing tobacco cravings offers further techniques that apply just as well to vaping.
If vaping helped you stop smoking
For a former smoker, the first priority is not to return to cigarettes, even if leaving nicotine behind takes longer than planned. The NHS advises stopping vaping only once you feel confident you can do so without smoking again, and considers a return to the vape far preferable to lighting a cigarette.
In practice, this means choosing your moment carefully, reducing the nicotine strength gradually if that feels safer, and accepting that several attempts may be needed. Each attempt teaches you something about your triggers and brings the final one closer.
Getting the right support to stop vaping
Quitting without help works for some people, yet the odds improve considerably with the right support. Nicotine replacement products such as patches, gum or lozenges can soften the first days by supplying a gradually decreasing dose of nicotine, and a pharmacist or GP can advise you on whether they suit you.
What makes the greatest difference over time, however, is not being alone with your decision. Knowing that someone is available when a difficult moment arrives, and having a clear plan for the situations that trigger cravings, gives a quit attempt far more chance of lasting. This is precisely the role of the year-round follow-up offered by laserOstop centres, described below.
The tobacco bill could treat vapes like cigarettes
The legal landscape is shifting. In June 2026, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health adopted the motion of desirability on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, and clause-by-clause deliberations began in August. In its current form, the bill would place vaping products under rules comparable to those governing cigarettes, including a ban on use in indoor public spaces, restrictions on displays at the point of sale and a prohibition on advertising and sponsorship.
The bill has not yet become law, and its final wording may still evolve. The direction, however, is unmistakable: the vape is steadily losing its status as the acceptable alternative. Stopping now, on your own terms, is far more comfortable than adapting later to a life of restricted spaces and rising prices.
Quitting vaping with laserOstop
Whether nicotine comes from a cigarette or a vape, the dependence it creates is the same, and so is the need for a clear break. laserOstop offers a medication-free method built around a single appointment of about an hour, in its centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The session begins with an unhurried conversation about your habits, the moments when you reach for your vape and what drives your decision to stop. A trained practitioner then carries out a photobiomodulation procedure: a gentle, low-intensity laser applied to specific points, notably around the ear. There is no needle, no pain and nothing to swallow, and you leave the centre ready to begin your first nicotine-free day.
The support continues long after the session. Your centre remains available throughout the year to help you through difficult moments, and the laserOstop 12-month guarantee allows you to return for a further session should you need it. The method is exclusive to laserOstop, and its equipment, developed specifically for the network, is used only by practitioners trained in its protocol.
The most convincing argument comes from clients themselves. In the countries where laserOstop is present, more than 25,000 Google reviews tell the story of people who chose this route to leave nicotine behind, and of the freedom they found afterwards.
The vape in your pocket has had its say long enough. Book your session at the laserOstop centre nearest to you and choose the day your nicotine-free life begins.
How to stop vaping: frequently asked questions
How long does nicotine withdrawal last after you stop vaping?
Physical symptoms are usually strongest during the first three days, then ease gradually over the following weeks. Occasional cravings can return for longer, often triggered by situations once associated with vaping, but they tend to become shorter and less frequent with time.
Is it better to stop vaping all at once or to cut down gradually?
Both approaches can work. Stopping completely gives a clear break, while reducing the nicotine strength over a few weeks can soften withdrawal. Whichever you choose, set a firm final date so that the reduction phase does not continue indefinitely.
Should I go back to cigarettes if quitting vaping feels too hard?
No. Cigarettes remain far more harmful than vaping, and research suggests that people who both smoke and vape face a higher risk of respiratory symptoms than those who only vape. If you originally used vaping to stop smoking, staying smoke-free comes first: it is better to keep vaping for longer and try again later than to return to cigarettes.
Is vaping without nicotine harmless for the lungs?
Not necessarily. Nicotine-free liquids remove the cause of dependence, but heated flavourings and other ingredients are still inhaled deep into the lungs, and their long-term effects remain poorly understood. Nicotine-free vaping also keeps the gesture and the habit alive, which can make a relapse more likely.
What can parents do if their teenager vapes?
Start with a calm conversation rather than a confrontation, and try to understand when and why your child vapes, whether for stress relief, curiosity or social pressure. A family doctor can assess the level of dependence and suggest support adapted to their age. Many teenagers want to stop but feel unable to admit how dependent they have become.
Can laserOstop help me stop vaping?
laserOstop centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town welcome smokers and vapers alike. The method is built around a single session of about an hour, with no medication, followed by support throughout the year and a 12-month guarantee. More than 25,000 Google reviews left by clients across the network describe the experience.
