Smoking can be a long, slow death sentence.

According to the CDC, more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease.

When factoring that in with current World Health Organization’s estimates of smokers comprise 1.4 to 18.5 percent of hospitalized adult COVID patients, there’s no better time than now to start looking at alternatives.

Although it can seem like a scary leap, quitting smoking can be a much more seamless process than you might imagine.

Often, people go with smoking alternatives to help with cessation or permanently move away from the act of smoking in general, which is usually a good step in the right direction.

Furthermore, the number of people who are able to quit altogether is growing exponentially, clocking in at around 1.3 million people per year.

And whether you’re looking to quit permanently or simply start the process, we’ve compiled a helpful guide on if there are alternatives, as well as what might be best for you.

A Note On Smoking, Smoking Alternatives, and Your Health

Before we dive in, it’s important to note that even smoking alternatives have their own risks.

From popular choices like vaping to more alternative choices like dip, there are still chemicals and consequences to each.

Additionally, consuming nicotine in any form is still nicotine, which you need to consider in itself regardless of the medium.

However, with that being said, the road to cessation is not an easy one, which is why many of these alternatives have been helpful to others in their journey towards quitting.

What’s On The Market For Smoking Alternatives

Below is a list of the most popular smoking alternatives. Let’s dive in:

Vape

A product that became wildly popular a few years ago, vaping has been at the forefront of the smoking-alternative movement.

With the ability to choose dosages and flavors, a lot of people look at vaping as a subculture of nicotine consumption on its own.

Granted, this also isn’t without its backlash, because for how popular vaping became, its meteoric rise had a fair share of consequence.

One problem in particular with vaping is the electrical components failing or even exploding in people’s faces.

While a seldom occurrence, the idea of taking this electric piece, heating different components (especially when you don’t know where they came from/what they are), and taking a collection of chemicals to burn, vaping has been more trouble than it’s worth for some.

And if this is a serious consideration for you, definitely do your research on finding a sound company to buy vaping products from, using as many natural components as possible to give the purest experience.

Dip

Several years ago, dip started to become a popular product as a smoking alternative.

Including pouches of tobacco, dipping is a cheap, efficient way to consume tobacco.

However, if you’ve ever seen someone dip tobacco, you can tell it’s a nasty process.

Not only does it stain your teeth (and even get in between the crevices), but requires a can to spit your tobacco into.

As you can see, there’s a good reason dip never took off amongst the mainstream, with its practice wildly unappealing.

Tobacco-Free Dip

While tobacco dip might be unappealing, a new wave of tobacco-free dip gives a much cleaner experience.

In particular, there are fine-cut tobacco alternatives that have a lot of flavors while giving you a smooth change from smoking.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about the added chemicals and even fiberglass in regular dip, giving you the best every time.

The Patch

A popular choice amongst those trying to quit for good, the patch is a smoking alternative that releases nicotine into your bloodstream via a patch on your arm.

Usually criticized for being pretty expensive, the patch has had mixed results in the past.

Nicotine Chewing Gum

Similar to the patch, nicotine gum is an alternative to smoking that sprang up a few years ago and has been a popular choice ever since.

Although also expensive, a lot of people enjoy the oral sensation of chewing, feeling as though it helps replace smoking for them.

While it’s not an easy entry point, nicotine gum can be good if you want to get away from nicotine over time in general.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Taking The Leap

No matter what route you go, don’t be afraid of taking the leap to go forward with a smoking alternative.

It’s a great step in the right direction, and can be incredibly helpful in kicking the habit for good.

Even if it takes you a few times, putting in that effort will always be worth it, especially in eventually completing your goal.

Give yourself the chance, as the results might surprise yourself in discovering a different side of who you could potentially be.