How to quit vaping: a step-by-step taper plan

You don’t have to quit today. You can start by finding out how much you vape now, then decide how you want to get to zero. This guide walks through both routes, stopping on one day or cutting down first, and how to get through the harder moments on the way.

Quit all at once or cut down first?

The NHS describes both ways to quit, and the evidence on which works better is mixed. The NHS says cutting down on nicotine vaping gradually can make quitting easier, and also describes how to quit in one step (NHS).

According to the NHS, cutting down gradually gives your body time to adjust to lower nicotine levels. It suggests three ways to do it: lowering the nicotine strength of your e-liquid over time, leaving longer gaps between vapes (for example, every 40 minutes instead of every 20), and creating vape-free places or times that you slowly expand. It also says to only cut down when you’re ready.

If you’d rather stop in one step, the NHS suggests asking a pharmacist or stop smoking adviser about switching to a nicotine replacement product. Smokefree.gov, run by the US National Cancer Institute, suggests picking a quit date no more than a week or two away if you’re stopping in one go (smokefree.gov).

There’s less official guidance on quitting vaping than on quitting smoking. The CDC says quitting vaping is likely similar to quitting smoking, because both involve nicotine addiction (CDC). If you’re not sure which route suits you, a doctor, pharmacist or your local quit service can help you talk it through.

The rest of this guide follows the cut-down route. If you plan to stop on one day, steps 1, 4 and 5 still apply.

Step 1: Count what you vape now

Count your puffs for a few normal days before you change anything. That number is your starting point, and every step after this builds on it.

A single day can mislead you. A stressful day, a night out or a quiet weekend at home can push the number up or down, so take a few days and use a typical figure. Don’t try to cut down while you count. The aim is an honest baseline, not a good score.

A few ways to count:

• Tally as you go. Make a mark in a notes app each time you vape. It’s tedious, but it works.
• Count sessions, then estimate. If you count the puffs in a few typical sessions, you can multiply by how many sessions you have in a day.
• Use an app that logs each puff. This is how CutPuff works: you tap once per puff, and it keeps the daily total for you.

It’s also worth checking your e-liquid’s strength (in mg/ml or %) and how long a device or pod lasts you. The NHS suggests checking your e-liquid’s nicotine content if you plan to step it down. Our nicotine calculator turns those numbers into milligrams of nicotine a day, and our guide to nicotine in a cigarette vs a vape explains what those milligrams do and don’t tell you.

Step 2: Pick a quit date and a pace

Choose how many weeks you want to take to get from your current count to zero. Your quit date is the end of that period, and your daily limit drops by the same amount each week until it gets there.

A shorter plan means bigger steps each week. A longer plan means smaller steps over more time. Neither is the “right” answer, so pick the pace you think you can stick with. You can change it later.

Here’s how the taper planner works it out. Take 200 puffs a day over 6 weeks. Your limit is 200 a day in the first week, then 167, 133, 100, 67 and 33, and 0 from your quit date six weeks after you start. Each week’s limit is your starting count multiplied by the share of the plan still to go, rounded to a whole puff. The full method is on our methodology page.

The planner offers 6, 8 or 12 weeks, or a custom pace from 4 to 16 weeks, and shows a date for every step. Picking a date ahead of time also gives you a chance to plan around it, so you might avoid a quit date in the middle of exams or a big deadline.

Step 3: Cut down week by week

Each week, you have one number to stay under: that week’s daily limit. When the week ends, the limit steps down and you start again with the new one.

Some things that can make each step easier:

• Spread your puffs across the day. If you use most of your limit by lunchtime, the evening gets hard. This is where the NHS suggestion of stretching the gap between vapes fits in.
• Add vape-free places and times. The car, the bedroom or your first hour at work are common places to start. Add more as the limit drops.
• Notice your triggers. Smokefree.gov says certain people, places, feelings or situations may cause you to want to vape. Knowing yours helps you plan around them.
• Watch for vaping more. The NHS says that if you find yourself vaping more after lowering your nicotine strength, it may be a sign you’ve reduced it too quickly. The NHS is talking about nicotine strength, but the same idea can apply to a puff limit: if a step feels too steep, slowing your pace is fine.

If you track your plan in CutPuff, the app shows today’s limit, you log each puff, and you can move your quit date if you need to. The plan reshapes around the new date.

Step 4: Get ready for cravings

Expect cravings, and have a plan for the next one before it arrives. The NHS says cravings usually only last a few minutes, so have a distraction ready (NHS).

When you quit nicotine vaping, your body may react because it’s used to getting nicotine. The NHS lists strong cravings to smoke or vape, feeling irritable or low in mood, trouble concentrating, feeling hungrier than usual and difficulty sleeping as possible withdrawal symptoms. Our nicotine withdrawal timeline covers what official sources say about when these start and how long they last.

Ideas from the NHS quit smoking pages for getting through a craving:

• Play a game, try a puzzle or do a short workout.
• Keep your hands busy.
• Put on music to change your mood.
• Try a slow breathing exercise.
• Call a friend who knows you’re quitting.
• Go for a walk.

The NHS also suggests rewarding each vape-free day with something small, and telling friends or family how they can help.

Step 5: Get support

You don’t have to do this on your own, and support is often free. A quit service, a pharmacist or a doctor can help you choose an approach and talk through options.

• Quit services. The quitline for your country is listed below this guide. In England, your local Stop Smoking Service is free.
• A pharmacist or doctor. They can tell you about stop-smoking products and medicines, and whether any suit you.
• Nicotine replacement. Some people use nicotine replacement products to quit. Ask a pharmacist, doctor or quit service whether this is right for you, and see the NHS guide to stop-smoking products for what’s available.
• Your mood. If you’re stressed or anxious about quitting, the NHS points to Every Mind Matters for free support.

If you vape to stay off cigarettes

If vaping helped you stop smoking, staying smoke-free is the priority. The NHS says you should only quit vaping if you’re confident you can do it without smoking cigarettes (NHS).

The NHS also says that if you’re vaping to quit smoking, you should aim to eventually stop vaping too, once you’ve been vaping for a while and feel sure you won’t go back to smoking (NHS). There’s no set timetable for this.

Because the NHS says to only quit vaping when you’re confident you won’t smoke, feeling a pull back towards cigarettes while cutting down is a reason to slow down or pause. The NHS also says that if you’ve been using a vape to help you stop smoking, going back to vaping is much better than starting to smoke again (NHS). A stop smoking service can help you plan this step.

If you slip

Going over your limit, or vaping after your quit date, happens. Pick up from your next puff.

The NHS says it’s okay if it takes a few tries to quit for good. A slip doesn’t wipe out your plan, and you don’t have to start again from your old count.

When it happens:

• Look at what led to it. A trigger you didn’t plan for, a bad day, a step that was too big? That’s useful information for the next attempt.
• Adjust the plan if you need to. If the pace is too fast, give yourself more time. A later quit date is still a quit date.
• Talk to someone. A quit service can help you get back on track, and that’s exactly what they’re there for.