Trying to quit vaping? Singapore's I Quit programme offers free, confidential help with no offence record

Five years ago, Jereld Pan, now 30, gave up cigarettes for vaping. He had heard it was a "cleaner" option. It didn't work out that way: he stayed hooked on nicotine, and the coughing fits he'd had as a smoker carried on, sometimes leaving him feeling like vomiting.

The symptoms worried him enough that he started reading about the health risks of vaping, including the possibility of lasting lung damage. That reading convinced him to stop. He had been vaping for more than two years by then, and it took repeated attempts to stay off for more than six months before he finally succeeded. Pan, a game development tester, compares the achievement to "finally beating that impossible boss" in a video game.

He thought about getting professional help but felt he could manage alone. He also knew little about programmes for quitting vaping, and did not realise he could seek help voluntarily without getting an offence record. He now believes that wider awareness of vaping's risks, and of the support available, makes it easier for people to come forward.

That support is the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme, free for adults aged 18 and above who want to stop smoking or vaping. People who come forward voluntarily face no penalties and receive no offence record. Participants choose between daily SMS tips and telephone counselling, with follow-up calls for up to a year. I Quit tele-counsellor Sandhieyaa Rave Chadran says what people share in counselling stays confidential. There is a limit, though: confidentiality within the programme does not exempt anyone from the legal consequences of vaping outside it.

Pan's own difficulties were concrete. Having a vape within reach made it hard to resist "just one more" puff when he tried to cut down. Withdrawal peaked two or three days after he stopped, as a "gnawing" feeling at the back of his head and an "itchy mouth". His coughing worsened, and anxiety and work stress piled on. He considered vaping again to ease the discomfort. "I'm glad I didn't listen to myself," he says.

Sandhieyaa says quitting is not simply a matter of willpower. Nicotine dependence, cravings, routines and emotional triggers all make it hard. A first call with an I Quit counsellor covers the person's vaping habits, cravings and triggers, their reasons for quitting and how ready they feel. The counsellor then explains the options and helps choose a pathway, followed by practical next steps and regular follow-up. Someone who vapes when stressed might try a walk instead. Someone offered a vape might prepare a reply such as "No, thanks, I'm trying to quit", or avoid places where others vape for a while. A relapse is not treated as failure; counsellors look at what triggered it and adjust the plan. "The aim is to help the person continue rather than give up," Sandhieyaa says.

After several lapses, Pan threw out the vapes and pods he had been keeping "just in case", which made going back harder. Gaming, boxing and Muay Thai filled his time, and he ate healthy snacks in moderation to keep his mouth "busy". Growing fitness gave him another reason to stay off. He also told his sibling and others close to him, and their support was, he says, "a bit of a wake-up call" about the toll vaping was taking and how it could affect people he cared about.

No single moment made quitting easier. His urges faded gradually, and he came to see how much of his life had revolved around vaping. The coughing eventually subsided. He felt less anxious too, no longer worrying about being caught. "It just felt like my mind was a lot clearer after that," he says.

Pan remembers feeling ashamed of how much he relied on vaping, a feeling that came mostly from himself rather than from others. He hopes family and friends will encourage people who are quitting instead of criticising their lapses: "If someone else had validated that shame, it might have made things worse." Sandhieyaa says people need not be fully ready before reaching out. The first step can simply be to speak with a counsellor, understand the options and decide what feels manageable.