Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant found in tobacco and in the e-liquid inside a vape. Hayati Pro sells nicotine products, which places an obligation on this store to state the risks plainly rather than sell around them. This guide covers what nicotine does in the body, how vaping compares with smoking under NHS evidence, who should never vape, how the UK caps nicotine strength, and how to charge a device without starting a fire.
Vaping products are for adult smokers and existing vapers aged 18 and over. Children and people who have never smoked should never vape.
What nicotine is
Nicotine is the addictive chemical in tobacco, and it is the reason smoking is hard to stop. Nicotine reaches the brain within seconds of inhalation, where it triggers a short dopamine response. Repeated exposure builds dependence. Withdrawal from nicotine produces irritability, low mood, restlessness and strong cravings.
The NHS is direct about what nicotine does and does not do. Nicotine is highly addictive, and nicotine itself does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease or stroke. Almost all the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals released when tobacco burns, many of them toxic. Nicotine has been used for years in nicotine replacement therapy, including patches, gum and sprays.
How vaping compares with smoking
Cigarettes burn tobacco. Vapes heat e-liquid. That single difference drives the risk gap, because burning produces tar and carbon monoxide and heating does not.
UK experts reviewed the international evidence in 2022 and concluded that in the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking. The NHS states the position without decoration: vaping is less harmful than smoking, not risk-free. Vaping has not existed long enough for the long-term risks to be known, and the healthiest option remains neither smoking nor vaping.
| Factor | Smoking | Vaping |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Burns tobacco | Heats e-liquid |
| Tar | Produced | Not produced |
| Carbon monoxide | Produced | Not produced |
| Nicotine | Delivered by smoke | Delivered by aerosol |
| Long-term risk evidence | Established over decades | Not yet established |
Switching completely is what reduces exposure
Smoking a few cigarettes alongside a vape keeps the tar and the carbon monoxide in the picture, so most of the harm reduction disappears. Half a switch is not a switch.
Who should never vape
Three groups have no reason to use a nicotine vape, and the NHS names each one.
Under-18s
Selling nicotine products to anyone under 18 is illegal in the UK.
People who have never smoked
Vaping carries risk. Starting from zero adds risk with no smoking harm to displace.
People who already quit both
Returning to nicotine restarts dependence from a standing stop.
Age checks run at checkout and again at the door under the age verification policy.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy sits in a separate category. The NHS position is that stopping smoking without nicotine is best in pregnancy, and that a vape is much safer for a pregnant woman and her baby than continuing to smoke. Anyone pregnant and still smoking should speak to a midwife or a local Stop Smoking Service before deciding.
Nicotine strengths and the UK 20mg/ml limit
UK law caps nicotine in e-liquid at 20mg/ml. The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 set that ceiling, alongside a 2ml cap on nicotine-containing pods and tanks and a 10ml cap on nicotine refill bottles. Every nicotine product sold in the United Kingdom is notified to the MHRA before it reaches the market.
Strength choice tracks smoking history rather than preference. Too little nicotine leaves cravings unresolved and pushes people back to cigarettes, and the NHS makes the point that the strength has to be high enough to reduce withdrawal.
| Previous smoking level | Common starting strength | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Light, up to 5 a day | 3mg/ml to 6mg/ml | Freebase or nic salt |
| Moderate, 5 to 15 a day | 10mg/ml | Nic salt in an MTL pod kit |
| Heavy, 15 or more a day | 20mg/ml | Nic salt in an MTL pod kit |
Reduce the strength gradually once cravings settle. A local Stop Smoking Service advises on the step-down free of charge.
Device and battery safety
Vape devices contain lithium batteries, and lithium batteries fail badly when they are damaged, soaked or charged carelessly. Follow six rules on every Hayati device.
- Charge with the cable supplied, or with a cable matching the device specification.
- Unplug the device once it reaches full charge, and never leave it charging overnight or unattended.
- Keep the device away from water, direct heat and direct sunlight.
- Stop using any device with a swollen body, a cracked casing or a damaged charging port.
- Store spare pods and e-liquid out of reach of children and pets.
- Recycle the device rather than binning it, following the Hayati device recycling guide.
Report a suspected health side effect or a product defect through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme. Reporting feeds the UK safety monitoring system directly.
Nicotine is toxic when swallowed. Call 999 for a child who has swallowed e-liquid and is unwell. Call NHS 111 for advice in every other case. Take the bottle or the pod with you.
Getting NHS support to stop smoking
Vaping works best alongside behavioural support rather than alone. NHS data shows that almost two-thirds of people who use a vape with support from a local Stop Smoking Service successfully quit smoking.
Support costs nothing. Find a local Stop Smoking Service through the NHS, download the NHS Quit Smoking app, or read the NHS guidance on vaping to quit smoking. No vaping product is licensed as a stop smoking medicine in the United Kingdom, so a vape cannot be prescribed by a GP.
Stopping vaping
Vaping exists as a route off cigarettes, not as a permanent destination. Stopping vaping too early raises the risk of returning to smoking, so the NHS advice is to keep vaping for as long as it takes to stay smoke-free, then step down.
Step down by reducing nicotine strength one level at a time, then by lengthening the gap between vapes. Nicotine replacement therapy from a pharmacist supports the final stage. The NHS guide on how to quit vaping covers the full process.
Where Hayati Pro stands
Hayati Pro sells to adult smokers and existing vapers. Hayati Pro does not market to non-smokers, does not market to under-18s, and does not present vaping as a lifestyle choice. Sourcing, verification and legal compliance are set out on the why UK vapers trust Hayati Pro page.
This guide provides general information and does not replace medical advice. Speak to a GP, a pharmacist or a local Stop Smoking Service for advice about your own circumstances.