Expert reveals what happens to your body when you stop vaping – and gives tips on how to actually stop using e-cigarettes

Disposable vapes should be banned to prevent children from becoming addicted to the colorful and cute e-cigarettes.

Officials are expected to put forward proposals next week that would see the devices scrapped amid concerns they were “almost exclusively aimed at children”.

Doctors have been warning for years about the side effects of vaping, which range from mild throat and mouth irritation to potentially fatal lung and heart disease.

But as millions of Brits now look to give up disposable vapes, doctors have revealed what happens to your body after you quit smoking and their top tips for kicking the habit.

Here, a doctor explains to MailOnline that the risks of heart disease and high blood pressure can return to pre-vaping levels after just a week, and after just a few months.

Tests on e-cigarettes confiscated from teenagers found that they contained dangerous levels of lead, nickel and chromium. Some were almost ten times above safe limits. Lead can affect brain development, while the other two metals can trigger blood clotting

What happens to your body after you stop vaping?

Vaping can have serious and sometimes fatal side effects on the body.

Dr. Semiya Aziz, a GP and television doctor practicing in north London, found that there is a link between vaping with chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and conditions such as asthma and popcorn lung – a condition that affects the smallest airways in the Damages lungs.

While the body can recover from the effects of vaping, it can take weeks, sometimes months, she said. This depends on the intensity and duration of vaping.

Within a few weeks of quitting e-cigarettes, the lungs can regenerate damaged tissue, reducing the risk of breathing problems.

However, the recovery rate depends largely on the level of exposure.

“If the damage to the lungs is extensive, this may not be possible and permanent damage may occur with long-term chronic effects,” she added.

Heart health may also improve as blood vessels return to normal speed and size, reducing the risk of an attack back to pre-vaping levels.

Dr. Aziz said: “As a result of vaping, heart rate often becomes abnormal and dilation of blood vessels occurs, which can increase the likelihood of a heart attack or sudden death in people with or without known heart disease.”

In addition to a healthier heart, blood circulation should improve after just a few weeks, reducing the risk of fatal heart disease.

Dry mouth and diminished taste buds — a side effect of vaping — would also return to normal after a few weeks, she says.

Dr. Aziz added: “We also know that vaping can cause other organ damage.”

“In addition to your lungs, nicotine and other substances in e-cigarettes can affect brain development and mood, leading to addiction.”

BEST TIPS TO STOP VAPERING

Quitting an addiction or habit can be a grueling process for most, especially when the government is expected to announce that the nation will go cold turkey.

But Dr. Aziz shared her top five tips on how to quit vaping for good.

The NHS doctor suggests getting physically active as exercise or sport can satisfy cravings.

Another way to curb addiction is to develop a distraction technique.

Dr. Aziz said: “The craving often goes away after a minute or two.” This can happen through completing various tasks, using your hands or listening to music. “Some patients I know have used straws to quit smoking.”

The journey to quitting is said to be much easier if you also surround yourself with family and friends who support you and understand the difficulties.

Many people develop the habit of smoking e-cigarettes to cope with stress, but this can be replaced with a different and healthier lifestyle.

Meditation, writing in a diary and spending time outdoors are just a few alternative options that the family doctor recommends.

And remember to celebrate milestones, no matter how small they may seem, Dr. Aziz.

She said: “You may want to track the number of days you achieve without vaping and reward yourself for that achievement.”

Many unwanted side effects can occur in the first few weeks after quitting.

Symptoms may include headaches, chills, irritability, and irregular mood swings with anxiety.

Dr. Aziz said: “Nicotine is an addictive substance and it usually takes 72 hours for nicotine to be eliminated from the body system.”

According to new government plans, disposable vapes are to be abolished.

This is to prevent children from becoming dependent on the devices. Latest data suggests that 11.6 per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds in the UK have tried vaping.

Activists have long called for significantly stricter regulations on marketing to children and a tax on disposable vapes, which are most popular among teenagers.

Data from NHS Digital, based on the 2021 Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Survey among Young People in England, shows that 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used an e-cigarette

But concerns have increased recently with calls for ministers to ban predatory firms from selling e-cigarettes in brightly colored packaging and child-friendly gift items such as chewing gum.

The proposals – which follow in the footsteps of countries such as France and New Zealand – could reportedly be unveiled as early as next week.

Last week, the French government vowed to press ahead with plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes amid claims they encourage smoking among young people.

Germany and Ireland have outlined their proposals to introduce restrictions on e-cigarettes, with the German government currently considering a total ban on disposable e-cigarettes.

Separately, Australia has taken action to make e-cigarettes available only to those with a prescription.

Meanwhile, New Zealand has also introduced restrictions banning vape shops from being within 300 meters of a school and ensuring that all vape shops must have replaceable batteries.

Colorful displays of the gadgets, which sell for just £5, are currently scattered across high streets across the UK.

Predator manufacturers lure children with flavors like bubble gum and cotton candy, and some stores even sell the devices alongside candy.

Experts have previously called for a complete ban on disposable vaporizers like the Elf Bars, popular with teenagers.

Everything you need to know about e-cigarettes

How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette?

There are many different brands of e-cigarettes with different nicotine levels.

The legal amount of nicotine in an e-liquid capacity in the UK is 20mg/ml, which equates to between 600 and 800 puffs.

One of the UK’s most popular vapes, the Elf Bar 600 is advertised in 0mg, 10mg and 20mg nicotine strengths.

How many cigarettes are in an e-cigarette?

The Elf Bar 600 contains the equivalent of 48 cigarettes, analysts say.

It delivers 600 puffs before it needs to be thrown away, meaning that theoretically every 12.5 puffs is equivalent to one cigarette.

Experts say that for many e-cigarettes, 100 puffs are equivalent to ten regular cigarettes.

Elf Bars is a brand of e-cigarettes often sold in fancy colors and with kid-friendly names and flavors like Blue Razz Lemonade and Green Gummy Bear

Is vaping more healthful than cigarettes?

According to the NHS, e-cigarettes are considered better than cigarettes because users are exposed to fewer toxins and in smaller quantities.

The health department adds that vaping instead of smoking cigarettes reduces exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks.

Public Health England, now defunct, published an independent expert review in 2015 that concluded e-cigarettes were around 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes.

However, vaping is not risk-free because while concentrations in tobacco products are much higher, e-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.

And Dr. Onkar Mudhar, a London dentist who posts videos on TikTok, said Elf bars can cause gum inflammation, swelling and bleeding.

He said that’s because nicotine dries out the mouth and reduces saliva flow, causing irritation from the buildup of bacteria and food that can’t be washed away.

In 2022, almost 350 hospitalizations due to e-cigarettes were recorded in England, thought to be mainly due to respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, chest pain, pneumonia and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.