Why choosing vaping will save you money
Why giving up smoking and choosing vaping can save you money Do you remember when we were stuck at home baking banana bread during the pandemic? We’d all laugh on Zoom quizzes with our families and friends and say, ‘soon we’ll be free, and everything will be so much better than it is now…’ Hah! Oh, how wrong we were. Let’s be honest, 2022 has been a bit pants so far. Inflation is at an all-time high, it costs five figures to top up our fuel tanks and let’s not get started on the state of our energy bills. If you’re looking at your bank statements and wincing, it might be time to start cutting back on certain things.One way you can make savings is by stopping smoking. Yep, we know there’s a reason why you haven’t quit yet. However, it can be one of the easiest ways to save money, as well as improve your health. But you may also be feeling quite anxious about quitting smoking too. That’s fine and totally normal. Your best chances of success lie in your planning and preparation, so read on to find out how maximise your chances of success! If you’re on the fence about stopping smoking, here’s how it can save you cash in the months ahead, as well as why vaping is a good alternative. Cigarettes are expensive: pass it on It’s not just the cigarettes that will cost you either Smoking: making people less houseproud for centuries Stopping smoking will help your health Best to quit while you’re ahead Hang on… when are you going to plug vaping as an alternative to smoking? So, why vape over smoking? It’s a cheaper alternative It tastes nicer You can cut down on your nicotine intake as you vape It can help reduce the amount of plastic in landfill It can help you pick up better habits You won’t smell In summary: Pick up the vape and save some money Cigarettes are expensive: pass it on At the time of publication, 20 cigarettes cost anything from £9.75 to £14.45. That’s between 49p and 72p per individual cigarette. (To put it into context, a single Freddo costs about 30p. Do you remember when they were 10p? It’s absolutely scandalous.) So, let’s say you smoke 20 cigarettes a day. This means you could be spending between £3,558 and £5,274 a year! Let that sink in. That’s a lot of cash. That money could pay your energy bill and keep your car running. You could even have a little bit of wonga left over to buy something nice like a holiday or Christmas pressies for the family. Alternatively, £5,274 could buy over 17,500 Freddos. Be right back, just going to the corner shop. For… reasons. (Want to see how much money you can save by switching to vaping? Keep reading to find out!) It’s not just the cigarettes that will cost you either Smokers typically pay more for life insurance than non-smokers. This is because they’re more susceptible to illness than people that don’t and therefore, more likely to need a pay-out. Depending on your insurance provider, you can expect to pay between 30% to 200% more for cover if you’re a smoker. And don’t even think of lying on your application, as they will check your medical records if you make a claim. This means by quitting, you can not only save cash on cigarettes, but on your insurance too. To qualify as a ‘non-smoker’ by insurance companies, you typically need to have not smoked for about twelve months. This can vary from policy to policy though, so be sure to check. Important note: Bear in mind that some insurance companies treat vaping the same way as smoking, so if you switch to vaping, you might still need to pay a premium. Check the terms of your policy to see if you might be affected. Smoking: making people less houseproud for centuries Another indirect cost of smoking can be seen around the home. If you like to light up in the house, you can soon find yellow stains on the ceilings, walls and paintwork, as well as marks on your soft furnishings. Plus, everything you own smells like damp cigarettes. Bleugh. This means you have to spend money on redecorating and can even see the resale value of your home drop. According to Yopa, smoking can devalue your property by up to 29%. After all, who wants to sleep, cook and watch TV In a giant ashtray? Pretty much no one. By stubbing out those cigarettes, you can unlock the value of your home and even save some money to buy a new TV or a cool piece of art for the wall. Everyone’s a winner. Stopping smoking will help your health Even though we do it, we all know that smoking damages our health. If you’re one of those people that can’t bear to look at the disgusting photos they put on cigarette packets these days, we feel your pain. However, it has to be said – smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the UK. Heart attack? Yep. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Yep. Cancer? Pretty much every kind you can imagine. According to the NHS, around 78,000 people a year die from smoking, with many more living with serious health conditions. Even if you’ve smoked for decades, stopping is still one of the best things you can do for your health. Days after stopping, you’ll experience a drop in heart rate, and your sense of smell will improve. Within a year, your risk of coronary heart disease falls to half of what it was before. Stopping smoking not only improves your health but the health of those around you. It’s estimated that passive (second-hand) smoking causes nearly 10,000 deaths in the UK a year. If that doesn’t urge you to stub out the cigs, we don’t know what will. Best to quit while you’re ahead The UK
Why vaping is better for you than smoking
Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin Why vaping is better for you than smoking Many people, when considering giving up smoking, would rather aim to be completely nicotine-free. But the truth is that quitting smoking without finding an alternative is very difficult indeed, and while most people start with the very best intentions it’s not long before they find themselves back on the cigarettes again. For this reason, vaping is the very best alternative there is to kick the habit for good, and people have a far better success rate when they make the switch. Public Health England (PHE) has now written seven reports on vaping in England, and their latest one concluded that vaping is far safer than smoking for many reasons. Here are some top stats! Vapes are the most popular aid to stop smoking (27.2%). In 2017, more than approximately 50,000 people in England managed to stop smoking with the aid of an e-cigarette. In 2019 and 2020, quit success rates were between 59.7% and 64% using a vape. Around 6% of adults regularly use vapes, which adds up to around 2.7 million adult vapers in England. This has had a positive effect on driving down numbers of people still smoking, and the pattern is expected to continue. The report is a long one, but it takes a very in-depth look at vaping and it’s worth reading if you’re not completely convinced yet. PHE is unequivocal in their advice that smokers are far better off switching to vaping than continuing to smoke tobacco. The government’s goal is to be smoke-free by 2030, and they have been considering ways in which to achieve this goal. Vaping plays a really important part in this. When weighing up the pros and cons of quitting smoking, it’s important to bear in mind the very alarming statistic that smoking killed almost 75,000 people in England alone in 2019, and it continues to be the leading preventable cause of premature death. While people may be concerned that vaping still carries some risk, there is no doubt that it is a safer choice than smoking. Those with the best possible chance of success in giving up smoking have done two things: firstly, they have switched to a vape, and secondly, they have sought support from a local stop smoking service. If you’re thinking of making the switch to vaping rather than smoking tobacco, visit your local vape store. They will be able to show you the different types of e-cigarettes and help you choose one that suits your needs. They’ll advise you on flavours and nicotine strengths, and they’ll always be there to help support you through your quitting journey. Every high street has one, so go and support them. << Back to blog Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin
Planning to quit smoking this Stoptober? Get organised!
Planning to quit smoking this Stoptober? Get organised! Stoptober is nearly here! With the many health concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s never been a better time to pack in the cigarettes. If you, like many others, are planning to quit smoking this October, then good on you! You’ll soon be enjoying the many benefits that come from looking after your health in this way. But you may also be feeling quite anxious about quitting smoking too. That’s fine and totally normal. Your best chances of success lie in your planning and preparation, so read on to find out how maximise your chances of success! #1 – Find a quitting buddy Giving up smoking is hard – you know that already. But it’s a lot easier if you can find yourself a friend who is in a similar boat to you. You can encourage each other, and give each other a pep talk when you’re thinking of caving in. If you don’t know anyone around you then you can always look at forums online. Accountability is a great motivator for breaking any habit – you don’t want to be the person who cracks first! #2 – Do your research Spend a little time online reading up on the many dangers of smoking tobacco, and you’ll soon find yourself with extra motivation. Print out a list of the many benefits of stopping smoking and put it somewhere that’s always to hand when you’re feeling weakened. #3 – Get into vaping Some people find that the physical act of smoking is harder to give up than beating the nicotine cravings. These people find that taking up vaping helps them stay off the cigarettes. Vaping has been proved to be far safer than smoking, and it doesn’t smell like smoking does either! With vaping, you’re able to control the amount of nicotine that you are taking in, and gradually reduce it so you can wean yourself off slowly. You’ll also be able to choose from a wide range of flavours, each of which smells better than tobacco! #4 – Track your progress Each day you stay off the cigarettes is a minor victory, and you should feel good about that! There are lots of apps which you can install on your phone that track your progress, remind you of the many benefits of quitting smoking and let you know how well you’ve done so far. The NHS has a Quit Smoking app which many people are turning to in order to support themselves through the process. GOOD LUCK! Nobody said that quitting smoking was going to be easy, but the good news is that if you get yourself fully prepared, by 1st October you’re going to stand the very best chances of success. Here at Ohm Brew, we wish you the very best of luck, and we’re here to support your switch to vaping too, so you’re not alone. If you are feeling up to trying out vaping for the first time and need more information then visit our ‘Make The Switch’ section. << Back to blog Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin
Stoptober – Make The Switch.
Stoptober – make the switch 2020 – the year to end smoking It is officially that time of year again, Stoptober is here again folks – with the current covid-19 pandemic sweeping the nation this year, there has never been a better reason on giving up the smokes. The need and want for smokers to quit has been very evident this year with a recent surge in the number of people who have stopped smoking throughout the UK. According to a recent report by ASH (Action On Smoking And Health) stated the following: “Over a million people in the UK have stopped smoking since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. A further 440,000 smokers tried to quit during this period.” The numbers speak for themselves; it appears that people seem to be putting their lungs and immune systems first this year as we all try to make it through the current pandemic unscathed. How difficult is it to stop smoking? It certainly is more than achievable, but it really depends on the individual. Every human being is wired differently – some find that stopping smoking is a near impossible task whilst others are not too phased by the process. Nicotine addiction is very powerful as it affects a smoker’s mood, emotions and behaviour. If a smoker uses tobacco to cope with unpleasant emotions and feelings, it can become increasingly difficult for them to give up the habit when they attempt to do so. The smoker may also link their smoking with social activities (in the pub, going for a coffee with a friend). All these factors point back to the evidence that giving up smoking for good is a tough habit to break. What are the effects of nicotine withdrawl? People who have used tobacco regularly for a long period of time will undoubtedly experience some type of withdrawal symptoms when they stop suddenly or greatly reduce their nicotine intake. While these withdrawals carry no danger, the symptoms can be extremely unpleasant. They tend to start within only a few hours and peak massively when most of the nicotine leaves your system. These symptoms can last for several weeks but improve every day that a person stays free of tobacco. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can include any of the following according to Cancer.org: Dizziness (which may last a day or 2 after quitting) Depression Feelings of frustration, impatience, and anger Anxiety Irritability Trouble sleeping, including trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and having bad dreams or even nightmares Trouble concentrating Restlessness or boredom Headaches Tiredness Increased appetite Weight gain Slower heart rate Constipation and gas Cough, dry mouth, sore throat, and nasal drip Chest tightness These symptoms can lead a person to start using tobacco again to boost blood levels of nicotine and bring an end to their withdrawal symptoms. What are the options? #1 – GO COLD TURKEY Going cold turkey means giving up smoking without any kind of aid in the form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or switching to a vape. Whilst this method does have its success stories, experts argue that the results from this approach generally are not that great. Research over the past 25 years has shown that out of 100 people trying to quit smoking cold turkey, about three to five will succeed past six months. #2 – NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) The most-commonly used of quit smoking medications, NRT helps to reduce withdrawal symptoms by giving the user a small, controlled amounts of nicotine but without the other dangerous chemicals found in cigarettes. It is important to understand that while NRT can undoubtedly help users with their withdrawal and cravings, it will not completely rid them from their urges to smoke. Types of NRT include Patches, Gums, Lozenges, Inhalers and Nasal Sprays. #3 – Make the switch to a vape E-cigarettes (aka Vapes) are reported to be ‘three times more effective than nicotine patches and gum’ when used as a quitting aid according to a study by the University College London. E-cigarettes are becoming more and more popular with smokers looking to kick the habit as it allows the user to replicate the sensation of smoking tobacco. E-cigarettes do not produce carbon monoxide or tar – the two most harmful chemicals contained in traditional tobacco cigarettes. Not to sound biased or anything as an e-liquid manufacturer – but we think you should definitely give vaping a go. What we’re doing to help Stoptober is quite a big month in the vaping world with many smokers across the UK every year ditching the ciggies for a vape. Some ex-smokers find the transition over to an e-cig quite easy, while others can find it an overwhelming experience – with so much choice out there in terms of hardware and e-liquid brands. This illusion of choice is the core reason why we’ve decided to launch our ‘Make The Switch’ campaign – aiming to simplify the vaping journey for smokers through providing them with information and guidance that’s of value. Click here to take a look at this section of our site where you can find: 5 things every new vaper needs to knowVaping factsInteractive cost calculator – work out how much you could save per year by switchingE-cigarettes explainedE-liquids explained << Back to blog Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin
