Stacey's story: From cigarettes to vaping and how she finally quit

Once thought to be a “safer” version of cigarettes, vapes and other forms of e-cigarettes are now considered just as bad for our health.

Since July 2024, vapes with or without nicotine are now only legally available to buy from pharmacies, with the intended use to help manage nicotine dependence and stop smoking.¹

Despite this, Australia is said to be in a vaping crisis with an estimated 700,000 of us regularly vaping.²

Vaping is particularly popular among younger people. Government figures show that as many as one in 6 high school students vape at least once a month, with real numbers thought to be much higher.²

Stacey Wells switched from cigarettes to vaping in the hope it would cure her addiction. The opposite happened.

Stacey was a self-confessed heavy smoker from the age of 14. But it wasn’t until she switched to vaping in her late 20s, in an effort to quit smoking, that her addiction worsened.

“I think I may have tried to quit cigarettes once, but it was hell, so I kept smoking,” says Stacey. “Then when vapes came along, marketed as a cessation tool, I thought I would try them to help me quit.”

Not long after she made the switch to vaping, Stacey’s taste and sense of smell that was absent from the effects of smoking returned. She also experienced no withdrawal symptoms from stopping smoking, most likely due to vaping nicotine products.

“It really did give me a false sense of security that it was better for you,” says Stacey.

“I thought if I can breathe better, this must be healthy.”

Soon after starting to vape, Stacey was convinced of its benefits and was hooked.

“I liked vaping. Actually, I loved vaping. It was something I thought I could do forever” she says.

When in 2021 it became illegal to buy nicotine-containing vapes without a prescription, Stacey was surprised how easy getting one was. She didn’t need a to see a doctor, but simply filled out an online questionnaire. Within just 24 hours she received a prescription.

“It really was just another thing that lulled me into a false sense of security,” says Stacey.

Just 12 months after her first vape, Stacey realised she was far more addicted to vaping than she ever had been to cigarettes. She continued vaping for seven more years, day and night. She even slept with her device so she could use it if she woke in the night.

The cracks soon started to show.

“I went to an out-of-state event and my vaping mod broke. My friend said I looked panicked, like it was the worst thing that had happened to me. I pulled little pliers out of my bag, worked on it for 90 minutes and fixed it,” explains Stacey.

One day, while getting her car washed, Stacey was asked by the attendants what the crystallised residue over the windscreen was.

“I was like oh, that’s probably the vaping,” she says. Stacey suddenly realised the same toxins were most likely in her lungs too. “That was an eye opener for me, thinking ‘this isn’t good’.”

Even with this frightening realisation, Stacey kept vaping.

“It’s crazy to think how addicted I was. I knew it was harming me because I started to struggle walking upstairs without getting short of breath. My non-smoking husband started to cough, a lot, and I wondered if there was a problem with second-hand vaping,” says Stacey.

“That's when I thought, ‘this is ridiculous. I can hurt myself, but I definitely don't want to hurt anyone else’.”

Stacey decided to quit.

“I Googled how to quit vaping and considered hypnosis among other things. Then I came across Allen Carr’s book Easy Way to Quit Vaping,” says Stacey.

“I read the book in one day. It took about 8 hours, but I was determined to finish the book and quit like I promised myself.

“I vaped while I read. Following the book’s advice, I had my final vape and then collected all my vape devices from around the house to throw them out,” explains Stacey.

Worried that she would try and get them back, Stacey drove three shopping centres away to dispose of her vapes.

After seven years of vaping, Stacey stopped that day and says she has never felt better.

“I haven’t vaped since and I never will again. I know it would just start the addiction trap all over again.

“I've lost weight. I’m going to the gym every day, doing yoga and meditation,” says Stacey.

“Stopping things that are no good for you, really does breed good behaviour.

“For the first time ever, I’m feeling strong, balanced and happy.”

Everyone’s journey to quit is different and what works for some might not work for others. Research shows the best way to quit is by speaking with counsellors in combination with nicotine replacement therapies like nicotine patch and gum or prescribed stop smoking tablets.

Quitline’s experienced counsellors can give you advice and tips and help you develop a plan to stop smoking or vaping. Call 13 7848.

Quit has a range of helpful resources available on their website.