Day 3 after quitting vapingThe top of the curve

By Yevhenii, who smoked for 26 years · Updated 30 Oct 2026 · 2 min read

In shortFor most people the peak falls in these first days. A hard start is not a forecast: in the vaping study people whose first two days were worst were no less likely to be off the vape at the end of the week. A pharmacist can talk you through nicotine replacement.

What's happening in your body

For most people the peak falls somewhere in these first days. In the vaping studies the average peak was somewhat lower than the one recorded earlier in cigarette smokers. That average says little about you, because devices differ a great deal. At the strength sold in the United States, one pod device delivered nicotine about as fast and as high as a cigarette. The 20 mg/ml liquids sold in Europe put much less nicotine into each puff, although people can make up for it by puffing more.

What to expect

Possibly the hardest day. More cravings than yesterday, less patience, tired and wired together. It tends to ease from here. One finding from the vaping study is worth holding on to. People whose first two days were the worst were no less likely than anyone else to be off the vape at the end of the week, so a hard start is not a forecast. If it is unmanageable, a pharmacist can talk you through nicotine replacement.

A patch is not a vape, and the NHS suggests exactly this route for people who prefer to stop in one step.

Try this

Give every craving today ten minutes before deciding anything.

What else you could do

Look at the hours where your use was heaviest and put something specific into each before it arrives. Eat proper meals at regular times. Go to bed early, because a day that ends at ten is shorter than one that ends at one. And if you used to smoke, keep day six in mind already. A cigarette is not a way through this day.

Sources. Measured in vapers. Hughes et al., 2020. Hajek P, Pittaccio K, Pesola F, et al. Nicotine delivery and users' reactions to Juul compared with cigarettes and other e-cigarette products. Addiction, 2020. Phillips-Waller A, Przulj D, Myers Smith K, Pesola F, Hajek P. Nicotine delivery and user reactions to Juul EU (20 mg/ml) compared with Juul US (59 mg/ml), cigarettes and other e-cigarette products. Psychopharmacology, 2021. NHS Better Health, How to quit vaping.