As we approach the new year it’s time to start thinking about new year’s resolutions, and for many quitting smoking will be high on their list of priorities. Making the switch to vaping allows you to manage your nicotine cravings, and gives you a greater chance at a successful quit attempt. There are now 5.4 million vapers in the UK, with the number of vapers now overtaking the number of smokers according to the most recent ONS Adult smoking habits in the UK report. 56% of of those vapers have now completely quit smoking, while a further 37% are dual-users working to reduce their cigarette intake or quit altogether.
This new year the NHS Better Health Smoke Free campaign is reminding smokers that there has never been more support and alternatives available to smokers as they make a stop smoking attempt. No matter if you have been unsuccessful in the past, this year’s campaign carries the message that this time will be different, urging smokers across the UK to make a resolution they can keep.
Reasons to make the switch
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death, known to cause many forms of cancer as well as other life-altering diseases. Information from the NHS identifies smoking as the cause of 70% of all cases of lung cancer, as cigarette smoke contains countless harmful substances including at least 70 known carcinogens, as revealed by Cancer Research UK.
The British Heart Foundation advises that smoking cigarettes can also cause an increase in blood clots and fatty build-up within the arteries, making the risk of heart attack up to four times greater and the risk of stroke up to two times greater for smokers. If you would like to learn more about this we outline the many harms of smoking in our blog post 'The effects of smoking on the body'.
Vapes were designed to offer an alternative to smoking that allows users to keep their nicotine cravings at bay during a quit smoking attempt; while cutting out the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has found e-cigarettes to be at least 95% less harmful than smoking and research by many sources including Cochrane and London South Bank University, have identified vaping to be more effective as a stop smoking aid than nicotine replacement therapy options like nicotine patches and gum, giving you a greater chance of successfully kicking the habit.
Vaping is now the most popular smoking cessation tool available in the UK, having already helped an estimated nearly 3 million current vapers to successfully quit smoking, and many others to decrease their cigarette use substantially.
Take a look at the video below to see more of the benefits of quitting smoking.
Tips & advice
Better Health offer a variety of resources to help you quit this January, and combining a smoking alternative like a vape kit with support from your local stop smoking services will give you the greatest chance at a successful quit attempt. Here is a list of top tips to help you succeed:
· Pick a date for your quit attempt and add it to your calendar
· Make a list of your reasons for quitting
· If you smoke at certain times of the day, change up your routine
· Tell your friends and loved ones that you are quitting
· If this is not your first quit attempt, remember what worked before
· Have a plan for times when you are tempted to smoke
· Make a list of your smoking triggers and ways to avoid them
· Keeping busy can help keep cravings at bay
· Exercise away the urge!
Research has found that if you can abstain from smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to successfully quit for good, so if you can remain smoke-free for January you are setting yourself up for a great chance of success!
Choosing your starter vape kit
Starter vape kits are designed with new users in mind, replicating the feel of smoking a cigarette for an experience that is comfortable and familiar to those making the switch from smoking. Let’s take a look at the different types of starter kits to help you find the right kit to suit you.
Simple and easy to use
Prefilled pod vape kits are one of the easiest types of starter vape kit to use, as they utilise pods that come already filled with e-liquid in a variety of flavours, so you do not have to worry about refilling your pods or changing your coil. As a new vaper, it can be daunting having to learn how to use a new electronic device, so this type of starter kit helps minimise the learning curve by making maintenance on the device incredibly straight-forward.
The Lost Mary BM600 is arguably one of the simplest to use vape kits out there, with no buttons or settings, you simply need to insert the pod and inhale through the mouthpiece to vape.
The BM600 may look familiar to those who previously used disposable vapes, as it was made to be a direct reusable alternative to their disposable vape range of the same name. The only real difference is that the BM600 pod kit has a rechargeable battery and replaceable pods, so you can keep using the device itself indefinitely.
The device comes with one pod, and the colour of the device will correspond to the flavour of pod it comes with. However, once the e-liquid from this initial pod has been used up the BM600 vape kit can be paired with any of the Lost Mary BM600 pods, which are available in a choice of 24 of Lost Mary’s most popular flavours. Replacement pod packs come with two pods, each filled with 2ml of 20 mg/ml e-liquid and offering up to 600 puffs before needing to be replaced.
We currently have a Lost Mary BM600 bundle available which includes the device and a total of 7 pods for just £14.99.
If you like the sound of a prefilled pod kit but want something a little longer lasting, a big puff vape kit like the SKE Bar 15K may be a good option to consider.
Big puff vapes are so called because they can hold more than 2ml of e-liquid at a time and can therefore offer a higher puff count per pod change than standard 2ml kits. The SKE Bar 15K comes with a 2ml prefilled pod and a 10ml refill, which attach together to offer a total of 12ml of 20 mg/ml vape juice and up to 15,000 puffs per pod change.
Replacement SKE Bar 15K pods are available in a wide variety of the most popular SKE Crystal flavours, letting you enjoy all of your favourites and mix it up with each pod & refill change.
At the moment we have a SKE Bar 15K bundle that lets you pick up the device and a total of three pods for just £23.99.
Flexible and versatile
A hybrid pod kit can be used with both prefilled and refillable pods, giving you the option to choose between the simplicity of prefilled pods, or the freedom to refill your device with any compatible vape liquid in whichever flavour or nicotine strength you prefer.
Prefilled pod vape kits can be a really convenient and simple option, but sometimes you want to be able to choose your own flavour and nicotine strength. If you want the flexibility of a hybrid kit something like the Elf Bar 600 could be a great option to consider.
The Elf Bar 600 pod vape kit is compatible not only with the range of Elf Bar 600 prefilled pods, but also with the full range of Elf Bar ELFA PRO pods, giving you a huge range of flavours to choose from.
This also means that the Elf Bar 600 is compatible with the Elf Bar ELFA refillable pods, which can be repeatedly refilled with your choice of 50/50 or high PG e-liquid. This not only allows you to choose from a wide range of flavours, but also lets you use any nicotine strength, ideal if you want to be able to decrease your nicotine intake over time.
Our Elf Bar 600 bundle is currently available for £14.99 and includes the device along with a total of seven pods.
Economical and refillable
Refillable pod kits are one of the most popular types of starter kit as they combine the ease of a replaceable pod with the freedom to choose the exact flavour and nicotine strength you prefer. They also offer a more economical option than prefilled pod kits, as the pods can be refilled multiple times before they will need to be disposed of, so they need to be replaced less frequently and produce less plastic waste.
All of these refillable pod kits can be paired with your choice of 50/50 or high PG vape juice.
If you’re new to vaping and looking for a simple and approachable refillable vape kit, something like the VOOPOO Argus G3 Mini pod vape kit is a great place to start.
This compact, lightweight device fits perfectly in your pocket and features a long-lasting 1350 mAh battery designed to last the average vaper easily through a full day of vaping. There are no buttons or settings as the Argus G3 Mini users draw activation, so you just need to inhale through the mouthpiece to vape.
The refillable pods can be refilled multiple times before they will need to be replaced, and the clear design makes it easy to keep track of how much vape juice you have remaining in the pod. Plus, the top-fill lets you easily refill on the go.
Pick up the VOOPOO Argus G3 Mini + 20ml of e-liquid for just £14.99!
However, if you’re looking for something that gives you a little more room to personalise your vaping experience, you might want to consider something like the SMOK Novo Eco.
This handy little vape kit offers two different power modes so you can experiment with different power outputs to find the one best suited to your needs. You can also adjust the airflow to control how loose or tight the draw feels, letting you tailor it to your preferences.
Another great feature on the SMOK Novo Eco pod vape kit is that the battery can not only be recharged whenever needed, but when the battery is reaching the end of its life you can actually remove and replace it, letting you continue using the device for longer.
You can currently get the SMOK Novo Eco vape kit + 20ml of e-liquid for only £9.99.
Alternatives to vape kits
There are a couple of different options if you are looking for an alternative nicotine source, but are not sure that vaping is going to be right for you, or are looking for something that can go alongside a vape kit to help you effectively manage your nicotine cravings.
If you want to move away from smoking but are not quite ready to completely cut out tobacco, a heated tobacco device like the IQOS ILUMA i ONE may be a good option to consider.
This kit is used with specially designed TEREA tobacco sticks, which are made with real tobacco to offer an authentic flavour and experience. Instead of burning the tobacco the ILUMA i ONE gently heats the tobacco stick from within to create a vapour, eliminating the need for combustion.
Each tobacco stick lasts approximately as long as a traditional cigarette, and the TEREA range are available in a wide variety of different flavours, including a choice of tobacco blends along with menthol and fruity aromas.
Our IQOS ILUMA i ONE bundle comes with the device and 40 TEREA sticks for just £28.99.
Nicotine pouches are a great option if you do not always have the time to stop for a vape break, and offer a quick and discreet way to manage your nicotine cravings.
ZYN nicotine pouches are inspired by Swedish snus but do not contain any tobacco, you simply need to place one of the small pouches between the lip and gum and hold it in place for 5 minutes to an hour. It will gently release nicotine and flavour. As there is no smoke or vapour they are ideal for those times when you are not able to take a break, offering a discreet way to manage nicotine cravings.
The ZYN range is a great place to get started as they offer a choice of different nicotine strengths in a wide variety of flavours, including classics like cool mint and spearmint, along with more adventurous flavours like coffee, black cherry, and guava spice.
ZYN nicotine pouches are currently available for just £1.99 per can.
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If you are thinking about making the switch to vaping and would like advice, recommendations, or support, pop in to your local Evapo store or reach out to our Customer Service team, we will be more than happy to help!
Sources
ons.gov.uk 04/11/2025
ash.org.uk 08/2024
nhs.uk 2018
cancerresearchuk.org 19/03/2021
bhf.org.uk 09/2021
gov.uk 29/09/2022
cochranelibary.com 14/09/2021
researchgate.bet 08/2021
biomedcentral.com 21/11/2024
