Dear diary, 

I have been vaping for quite a long time. I always tell myself, “This is the last one,” but that was never the case. I have spent hundreds of dollars to fuel my addiction. I quit for three months at one point but went back to vaping because the cravings never went away.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018, an estimated 8.1 million U.S. adults were current electronic cigarette users. Vaping has seen an alarming rise in usage on college campuses and poses a serious threat to the health of students. Chances are you are one of the many people who are chasing the buzz. So how do you stop? 

You must take quitting one day at a time. The first couple days are going to be the hardest and that is when you will be most inclined to relapse. What I do is try to set goals for myself to make quitting not seem so unachievable.  

Instead of saying, “I’m never going to hit a vape again,” try saying, “I am not going to hit a vape for the next 24 hours.” Having short term goals is more effective to your recovery and will help you quit in the long run.  

No matter how long you have gone without vaping, you are doomed to experience cravings at some point. Cravings are the worst thing to experience. I often find myself incredibly irritable and emotional. To help with cravings you need to find a different type of oral fixation to replace the sensation of vaping with. I have found sour gummy candy and Warhead spray to be the most helpful.  

If you are trying to quit vaping, you need to get a water bottle with a straw! It provides the same movements of vaping and helps your body detox from all those nasty chemicals you have been ingesting. Adding different flavors to your water can also make the sensation of sipping feel more like vaping.  

Finding a visual representation for how long you have gone without vaping will help you not only track your progress but helps you feel more motivated to quit. This can be marking days on a calendar, using an app or putting a bead in a jar for every day you went vape free. There is something cathartic about being to mark of a day without vaping.  

You need to find things that will distract you from vaping and avoid places that will trigger you to vape. Pick up new hobbies, go to the gym or even binge some shows. Keep your hands busy because you can not vape when your hands are full.  

Lastly, do not be so hard on yourself if you end up vaping again. It’s okay! We all have different paths to recovery. It does not matter how many times you slip up as long you try again. Remember relapse is a part of recovery. You got this! There is no one way to quit; find what works for you!