Vaping to stop smoking

Nicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking. It’s also one of the most effective tools for stopping smoking.

Vaping is not completely harmless and we only recommend it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking and staying quit.

What are vapes?

Vapes are electronic devices that let you inhale nicotine in an aerosol, or vapour, instead of smoke. This is done by heating a solution (e-liquid) that typically contains propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings and nicotine.

E-liquids come in different nicotine strengths, so you control how much nicotine you need to help with cravings and other withdrawal symptoms, such as feeling irritable and having low mood.

Nicotine itself is not very harmful (it’s the chemicals in the smoke which is most harmful) and has been used safely for many years in medicines to help people stop smoking.

Disposable Vapes

Since 1st June 2025 it has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use (disposable vapes) vapes.

Illegal Vapes

Illegal vapes have become really common over the past few years, and there are a few things worth knowing – both about what makes them illegal and why they can be more risky than regulated vapes.

Disposing of Vapes

Putting your old vapes in to your general rubbish or recycling bin can cause bin lorry fires.

So how do you make sure that you are disposing of your vapes safely and with the environment in mind? (Photo credit: Gary Chan on Unsplash)

Making the switch to vaping

Vaping is great to help you stop smoking. Some people are happy to continue to vape but many people want to stop completely.

Watch a short video about people who have made the switch from smoking to vaping.

You can find advice on how to stop vaping on our stop vaping pages.

Safely disposing of vapes

Putting your old vapes in to your general rubbish or re-cycling bin can cause bin lorry fires.

So how do you make sure that you are disposing of your vapes safely and with the environment in mind?

You can recycle your vapes at some large supermarkets or the small domestic appliances container at any of Suffolk Recycling Centres.

Illegal vapes have become really common over the past few years, and there are a few things worth knowing – both about what makes them illegal and why they can be more risky than regulated vapes.

Why are they illegal?

A vape can be illegal for a few reasons:

– Too much nicotine (above the UK limit of 20mg/mL)

– Too much e-liquid (the UK limit is 2ml)

– Counterfeit branding (for example faked Elf / Geek bars)

– Not approved with proper packaging and warnings

– Aren’t tested and have no ingredients list

– Can have lower safety standards

How can you spot an illegal vape?

Some things to watch out for:

Packaging and warnings – Legal UK vapes must have a nicotine addition warning, an ingredient list, batch number and CE / UKCA marks

Nicotine Strength – The UK limit is 20mg/ml (usually labelled as 2%)

Clones of big brands – Counterfeits are common for Elf Bars, Lost Mary, Geek Bars, Crystal and Elux

Illegal vapes have also been linked to higher levels of lead, nickel and chromium exposure, which can harm the lungs, brain and nervous system. There is no safe level of lead exposure and the effects build up over time.

How to report underage or illegal vape sales

It is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18 or for adults to buy vapes for under 18s

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Lines are closed on bank holidays.

Relay UK

If you can’t hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0808 223 1133

Calls from mobiles and landlines are free.

Online reporting

Us the ‘Keep it out’ website for Anonymous Reporting | Keep It Out

Single-use vapes are not designed or intended for reuse. A vape is single-use if it either:

has a battery you cannot recharge
is not refillable

Why have they been banned?

To protect the environment. Nearly five million disposable vapes were littered or discarded every week in 2024. As well as being an eyesore and expensive to clean up, littered vapes introduce harmful chemicals into the soil, rivers and streams.

To reduce youth vaping. The introduction of disposable vapes saw a big increase in young people vaping

Vaping Myths

Vapes give you ‘popcorn lung.’

This myth started because of a flavouring called diacetyl. It gives e-liquids a buttery taste.

When people breathe in high amounts of diacetyl, it can cause a serious lung disease. This disease was first seen in workers at a popcorn factory. That is why it is sometimes called “popcorn lung.”

In the UK, diacetyl is not allowed in vapes or e-liquids. In the past, small amounts were found in some products. However, these amounts were very low. They were not high enough to harm people’s health.

Vapes are not regulated, and we do not know what is in them.

The UK has some of the strictest rules for vapes in the world. These rules come from the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations Act of 2016.

All vapes products must meet minimum standards for quality and safety. There are also strict rules about packaging and labeling. Every product must clearly list all of its ingredients.

Vapes must be harmful because they contain nicotine

Smoking-related diseases are caused by the many toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke. These chemicals are breathed into the lungs.

Nicotine itself does not cause cancer. However, it is the highly addictive part in tobacco that keeps people smoking

Exposure to vape vapour is harmful to bystanders

Unlike cigarettes, vapes do not produce side-stream vapour. The only vapour released into the air is what the user breathes out.

In 2018, Public Health England reported that no health risks from passive vaping had been identified up to that point. This means there was no clear evidence that bystanders were harmed by breathing in vape vapour.

Vapes will lead young people to smoke

Reserach shows that young people are experimenting with vapes but regular use is rare and confined to those who already smoke.

Vapes are being used so the tobacco industry can keep people smoking.

More people who use vapes are former smokers.

There are 3.2 million adult vape users in the UK. More than half of them have completely stopped smoking. Another 770,000 people have stopped both smoking and vaping.

At the same time, success rates for quitting smoking have improved. Smoking rates are also falling faster. In England, the smoking rate is now 14.9 percent. This is a record low.

Vapes do not help you stop smoking

Vapes can help some people to stop smoking by giving them nicotine without the harmful smoke from cigarettes.

Vaping is great to help you stop smoking and while some people are happy to continue to vape many people want to stop completely. You can find advice on how to stop vaping on our stop vaping pages.

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