Stop smoking with an electronic cigarette

Identifying and understanding addiction

First of all, let's clear up 2 clichés: first of all, a smoker remains a smoker, because the nicotine contained in tobacco is highly addictive. Secondly, it's important to remember that nicotine is not toxic or dangerous (in the doses consumed in a cigarette) and that only the smoke from combustion contains numerous carcinogenic substances.

Addiction to tobacco, and to cigarettes to be precise, can stem from a number of factors, which may weigh differently from one person to another. For some, cigarette addiction may be a physiological need, linked to a real physical craving that's hard to sustain, while for others, smoking is more a social issue. That's why it's important to identify the factors and levers you'll need to play on to make your nicotine withdrawal as smooth as possible. With every cigarette, it's important to ask yourself the question: "Why do I smoke? Without putting pressure on yourself! The aim here is not to make yourself feel guilty, but rather to understand what made you light up in the first place? Is it simply habit (it's the 10 a.m. break with colleagues and it's been like that for years) or do I really need it (I feel like I'm in withdrawal and it's showing in my way of being) or is it due to the context (parties or aperitifs)? In this way, you'll gain a better understanding of what drives you to continue smoking, and be able to act on these issues more precisely and with greater perspective.

What actions should be taken?

If you identify your smoking habits as a real need, a physical lack to be filled, the e-cigarette will be an important crutch. It allows you to continue absorbing nicotine by inhalation, as in the case of its combustion cousin, but it also keeps your hands busy, again exactly like the classic one. The only major difference between these two versions is the speed of nicotine absorption. In the case of the combustion version, nicotine hits the brain sensors within seconds of the first puff, whereas with an e-cig the delay is more in the order of ten minutes. Take this into account when making your transition.

If you notice that you smoke more in certain environments or contexts, you'll need to modify your habits. In this case, you'll need to try and break away from your smoking habits and put in place tips to reduce the temptation to smoke at parties and aperitifs. Keeping yourself busy doing other things (helping out in the kitchen, for example) or simply avoiding the famous "smoke breaks" will enable you to step back and break those bad reflexes. Don't worry, this transition period doesn't usually last long, and if your withdrawal proves too difficult, don't forget that e-cig allows you to keep your old habits without any adverse effects on your health.

Using the BAR A DIY® concept to its full potential

The BAR A DIY® concept has been designed and developed to help our customers achieve nicotine withdrawal in the best possible conditions and at the best possible price. All our flavors can be customized according to different criteria: volume, PG/VG ratio, nicotine rate. Here, it's the latter that we're going to focus on in a little more detail. As you may have already noticed, we offer two types of nicotine: liquid (classic) and saline. Depending on your needs and/or your equipment, you can choose one or the other, always vaping the same flavour! If you're not sure what nicotine salts are, take a look at our article on the subject. Keep in mind that you need special equipment to consume nicotine salts because, although they are absorbed more quickly into the body, the sensation in the throat is not at all the same.

Once you've chosen your nicotine type, you can then set its concentration in the final liquid in increments of 1mg/ml. So, no more frustration and withdrawal when you go from 12mg/ml to 6mg/ml or from 6mg/ml to 3mg/ml. It's up to you to choose the pace and speed at which you want to wean yourself off. This is where it's important to listen to your body, but also to your brain, to manage your stop-smoking. With BAR A DIY®, you have the power to say "OK, I'll start at 14mg/ml in my e-liquids, then I'll go down by 1mg/ml every month until I get to 0". Manage and organize your weaning according to your needs and feelings, not according to what the stores sell! Take care of your health and your wallet at the same time! That's BAR A DIY®!