An e-cigarette is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke. E-cigarettes don't contain tobacco and don't produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most damaging constituents in cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes work by heating a solution (e-liquid) that typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine, and flavourings. Using an e-cigarette is known as vaping.

There are a variety of models available:

• Cigalikes: These look similar to tobacco cigarettes. They tend to have small batteries and can be disposable or rechargeable.
• Vape pens: These devices are shaped like a pen or small tube. They have a tank to store e-liquid and replaceable coils. The batteries tend to last longer than cigalike batteries and are rechargeable.
• Pod systems: These are compact rechargeable devices, often shaped like a USB stick or a pebble and operating with pre-filled or refillable e-liquid pods. They are simple to use and to maintain.
• Mods: Mods come in a range of shapes and sizes but are generally the largest e-cigarette devices. They have a refillable tank, longer lasting rechargeable batteries and variable power.

For many people, the choice between a cigalike, vape pen, pod system or mod will be based on personal preference. Some types of device deliver nicotine more effectively and quickly than others and are likely to give you a better chance of quitting smoking.

• If you’re a lighter smoker, a cigalike, vape pen or pod system could suffice.
• If you’re a heavier smoker, it’s advisable to try a vape pen, pod system or mod.

It’s also important to choose the right strength of nicotine e-liquid to satisfy your needs. A specialist vape shop can help you find the right device and liquid for you, or you can get advice from us!

Many thousands of people in the UK have already stopped smoking with the help of an e-cigarette, and there is growing evidence that they can be effective. A major UK clinical trial found that, when combined with expert face-to-face support, people who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were twice as likely to succeed as people who used other nicotine replacement products such as patches or gum.

Using an e-cigarette can help you manage your nicotine cravings. To get the best out of it, make sure you're using it as much as you need to and with the right strength of nicotine in your e-liquid. You won't get the full benefit from vaping unless you stop smoking cigarettes completely. You can get advice from a specialist vape shop or your local stop smoking service.

Getting expert help from your local stop smoking service gives you the best chance of quitting for good.

There is no evidence so far that vaping causes harm to other people around you. This is in contrast to smoking, where exposure to secondhand smoke is known to be very harmful to health.

Unlike cigarettes, there is no side-stream vapour released by an e-cigarette into the atmosphere, just the exhaled aerosol. Unlike tobacco smoke, e-cigarette vapour dissipates quickly in the atmosphere.

Public Health England’s 2018 independent evidence review found that to date, there have been no identified health risks of passive vaping to bystanders.