How to quit vaping cold turkey: what to expect and a step-by-step plan
Quitting vaping cold turkey can work, and in a Cochrane review of 51 studies in smokers, stopping at once and cutting down first had similar quit rates. Withdrawal is uncomfortable, not dangerous: strongest in the first 3 days, lasting 3 to 4 weeks on average. Pick a date, clear out vapes and liquids, plan the first 3 days.
Is it safe to quit vaping cold turkey?
Yes. Health agencies agree: the CDC says nicotine withdrawal cannot hurt you, smokefree.gov calls it uncomfortable but not harmful, and Australia’s health department says the symptoms are not dangerous.
Cold turkey means stopping on your quit day with willpower alone: no cutting down, no products. The NHS also describes quitting in one step with a fast-acting nicotine replacement product for the cravings, with one caution: only quit vaping if you are confident you will not go back to cigarettes.
Does quitting cold turkey work?
For many people, yes. Australia’s health department says many smokers quit this way and people have also quit vaping cold turkey. The best evidence is a Cochrane review of 51 studies and more than 22,000 smokers: in the 22 that compared stopping at once with cutting down first, 9,219 people, neither approach produced more quitters.
Two caveats. Those trials are in smokers, because vaping research is younger, and willpower alone is often not enough, as the NHS puts it: in a 2020 trial, only half of 109 daily vapers managed 6 days off their vape, even though they were paid to. Across 136 trials, nicotine replacement raised smokers’ chances of quitting by 50 to 60 percent.
What happens when you just stop vaping?
Withdrawal starts within hours, is strongest in the first 3 days and lasts 3 to 4 weeks on average, the NHS says of nicotine withdrawal after smoking; smokefree.gov puts the worst of quitting vaping at a few days to a couple of weeks. Expect cravings, irritability or low mood, trouble concentrating, hunger and poor sleep. In the vaping trial the symptoms peaked on day 1 or 2, and how bad the first 2 days felt did not predict who stayed vape-free. Each craving usually lasts a few minutes. The vaping withdrawal symptoms page covers each symptom; the quitting vaping timeline covers it day by day.
How to quit vaping cold turkey, step by step
Pick a quit date in the next 2 weeks. Smokefree.gov says a date further away gives you time to change your mind. Avoid a stressful day, and tell the people around you.
Clear everything out the night before. Throw away vapes, e-liquid bottles, pods and chargers, make your home and car vape-free zones, and unfollow vape accounts and shops.
Plan the first 3 days. List your triggers (coffee, breaks, driving, alcohol, other vapers) and decide now what you will do instead. Take it one hour or one craving at a time, sleep and eat well, and go easy on caffeine.
Ride out each craving with the 4 Ds. Delay: after a few minutes the craving fades. Deep breathe: 3 long slow breaths, or 10 if you need them. Distract: a walk, a friend, a game on your phone. Drink water, slowly.
Consider nicotine replacement. The NHS suggests asking a pharmacist about a fast-acting product such as a mouth spray, with a patch for steady cover. In the US they are approved for smoking, not vaping; smokefree.gov says to ask a doctor if you are struggling.
Treat a slip as a setback, not the end. Smokefree.gov says to work out what triggered it and plan for that situation next time. If you go back to vaping, set another quit date soon; it takes some vapers more than one try.
Cold turkey or cutting down: which suits you?
| Cold turkey | Cutting down first | |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Stop on your quit day, with willpower alone or with nicotine replacement for cravings | Lower the nicotine strength, stretch the gaps between vapes, add vape-free places, then quit on a set date |
| Quit rates in trials | Similar to cutting down first: 22 studies, 9,219 smokers, no winner (Cochrane, moderate certainty) | Similar to stopping at once; may do better with fast-acting nicotine replacement or varenicline |
| Withdrawal | Full withdrawal from day 1, peaking in the first 3 days | Gradual cutting gives your body time to adjust (NHS); most trials did not measure the difference |
| Effort | A hard couple of weeks, nothing to measure | Weeks of counting and stepping down; vaping more may mean you cut too fast |
| Who it suits | People who want it over with and have a date, a plan and support | People not ready to quit right now, or who tried cold turkey and slipped |
Where does a puff counter fit?
Cold turkey means counting to zero, so Puff Counter’s job changes. Before your quit date, a few days of one-tap counting show when you vape most: Australia’s health department suggests this kind of diary and says a couple of days is enough to see your triggers. After your quit date, the time since your last puff is the number you will want on day 3. If cold turkey does not hold, the quit plan (Premium) is the gradual route from the table: it sets a daily limit from your own average and lowers it step by step to a quit date you choose.
When should you see a doctor?
The same rule as for any nicotine withdrawal: see a doctor if low mood or anxiety is intense, gets worse or has not eased after 2 weeks, and get help now if you have thoughts of harming yourself (in the US, call or text 988). Chest pain, a racing heartbeat or trouble breathing are not withdrawal symptoms: get them checked.
Count your own puffs
Puff Counter logs each puff in one tap and shows your daily pattern. See the quit plan. Free on iPhone and Android.
Questions people also ask
Is it safe to quit vaping cold turkey?
Yes. The CDC says nicotine withdrawal cannot hurt you, smokefree.gov calls it uncomfortable but not harmful, and Australia's health department says the symptoms are not dangerous. The one NHS caution is to quit vaping only if you are confident you will not go back to cigarettes.
Is it better to go cold turkey or taper off nicotine?
Neither wins. In the 22 Cochrane trials that compared stopping at once with cutting down first, 9,219 smokers in all, quit rates were similar. The NHS says cutting down gradually can make quitting vaping easier, so choose the route you can stick with.
What happens when you just stop vaping?
Withdrawal starts within hours: cravings, irritability or low mood, trouble concentrating, more hunger and poor sleep. The NHS says it is strongest in the first 3 days and lasts 3 to 4 weeks on average; in a trial of daily vapers the symptoms peaked on day 1 or 2 and eased from there.
How long does it take to quit vaping cold turkey?
The first 3 days are the hardest and symptoms last 3 to 4 weeks on average. The NHS says cravings are hardest in the first 28 days and get easier after that, and Australia's health department says that after a month you will be feeling much better.
How hard is it to quit vaping cold turkey?
Hard enough to need a plan. In a 2020 trial, only half of 109 daily vapers managed 6 days without their vape, even though they were paid to stay off it, and the NHS says willpower alone is often not enough. Support and nicotine replacement raise the odds.
Sources
- NHS Better Health: How to quit vaping
- NHS Better Health: Managing nicotine withdrawal symptoms
- NHS Better Health: Understand your smoking triggers and cravings
- NHS Better Health: Should I quit smoking cold turkey?
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Get ready to quit vaping
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Managing your first day without vaping
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Dealing with vape cravings
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Know your vaping triggers
- Smokefree.gov (National Cancer Institute): Managing nicotine withdrawal
- CDC: 7 common withdrawal symptoms and what you can do about them
- Australian Government Department of Health: Quitting methods
- Australian Government Department of Health: Make a quit plan
- Australian Government Department of Health: Coping with quitting
- Australian Government Department of Health: What quitting feels like
- Australian Government Department of Health: Know your triggers
- Cochrane (2019): Can people stop smoking by cutting down the amount they smoke first?
- Cochrane (2018): Can nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) help people quit smoking?
- Hughes JR et al. (2020), Withdrawal symptoms from e-cigarette abstinence among former smokers, Nicotine and Tobacco Research (PMC7171279)
Related
This page is general information about vaping and nicotine, not medical advice. If you are worried about your health or want help quitting, talk to a doctor or a stop-smoking service.