Something’s shifted in the conversations I’m having at my Woonona clinic this year. Five years ago, almost everyone walking through my door was a cigarette smoker. These days? A growing number of the people reaching out to me are vapers. Some started vaping to quit cigarettes and got trapped in a different addiction. Others – and this is the one that really concerns me – never smoked a cigarette in their life but picked up a vape at a party, at work, through a mate, and now they can’t put it down.
If either of those stories sounds like yours, you’re not alone. And you’re not weak. You’re dealing with a nicotine addiction that’s been deliberately engineered to hook you. The good news? The same advanced clinical hypnotherapy techniques I’ve used for over a decade to help cigarette smokers can work just as powerfully for vaping.
Australia’s Vaping Problem in 2026 – The Numbers Are Sobering
Let me share some numbers that put this in perspective, because I think a lot of people don’t realise how big this has become.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, daily e-cigarette use in Australia went from about 100,000 people in 2016 to approximately 700,000 by 2022–23. That’s a seven-fold increase in just six years. And among 18-to-24-year-olds, the daily vaping rate hit 9.3% – nearly one in ten young Australians vaping every single day.
The Australian Government responded with some of the strictest vaping regulations in the world. Since July 2024, all non-therapeutic vapes have been banned from general retail sale. Disposable vapes are completely prohibited. As of July 2025, therapeutic vapes for people genuinely trying to quit smoking can only be purchased from pharmacies and must meet rigorous TGA product standards. Flavoured vapes, the ones that were deliberately designed to appeal to young people, have been heavily restricted.
But here’s what the regulations can’t do: they can’t break the addiction for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who are already hooked. That’s where the real challenge sits. You can make it harder to buy a vape, but you can’t legislate away the craving in someone’s brain at 3pm when they’re stressed at work.
Why Quitting Vaping Is Harder Than People Think
I want to address something I hear almost every week from vapers who contact me. They say: “It’s just vaping, it should be easy to stop.”
It’s not. And there’s no shame in that.
Here’s why vaping can actually be harder to quit than cigarettes in some ways. With cigarettes, there are natural breaks. You go outside. You light up. You finish the cigarette. You come back in. There’s a beginning, a middle, and an end to each “use.”
With vaping, there’s no endpoint. People hit their vape constantly – at their desk, on the couch, in bed, in the car, in the bathroom. Some vapers are taking hundreds of hits a day without even realising it. The nicotine delivery is constant, and in many vape products, the nicotine concentration is actually higher than in traditional cigarettes. Your brain never gets a break from the nicotine, so the addiction digs in deeper.
Then there’s the psychological side. Vaping doesn’t carry the same social stigma as cigarettes (yet). It doesn’t make your clothes stink. There’s no ash, no visible smoke. So the usual external motivators for quitting – the dirty looks, the smell, the exclusion – aren’t as strong. Your conscious mind doesn’t have as many reasons to fight the addiction. But your subconscious? It’s running the same nicotine dependency pattern as any cigarette smoker’s brain.
That’s exactly why hypnotherapy is such a powerful tool for quitting vaping. We’re not trying to fight the conscious battle. We’re going straight to the source.
How Clinical Hypnotherapy Helps You Quit Vaping
The approach I use at Quit Smoking 4Good works for vapers in the same fundamental way it works for cigarette smokers – because the underlying mechanism is the same. Your subconscious mind has formed a pattern: stress → vape. Boredom → vape. Coffee → vape. Driving → vape. Waking up → vape. These automatic loops are stored in your subconscious, and no amount of willpower or good intentions from your conscious mind can override them long-term.
That’s why people who try to quit vaping cold turkey often last a few days, maybe a week, and then they’re back. Their conscious mind wanted to stop, but their subconscious was still running the old program.
In our session together, I use a combination of advanced clinical hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming to communicate directly with your subconscious mind. We identify your specific triggers – not generic ones from a textbook, but the actual situations, emotions, and habits that drive your vaping. Then we work together to reprogram those associations.
It’s not magic, and I’m not going to pretend it is. It’s clinical technique applied with precision and personalised to you. The reason it works is that we’re addressing the cause of the addiction, not just the symptoms.
What Makes My Approach Different for Vapers
I’ve adapted my methods specifically to address the unique challenges vapers face. The constant-use pattern of vaping (versus the episodic nature of cigarettes) means we need to dismantle a more deeply embedded habit loop. The practical life tools I give you aren’t just about managing a craving – they help you rebuild the micro-moments throughout your day that have been hijacked by vaping.
And yes, the lifetime support guarantee applies to vapers too. One fee. If you ever need to come back, you come back. Free. Simple.
Who’s Coming to Me for Vaping Help in 2026?
The profile of my vaping clients has changed quite a bit over the past two years, and I think it’s worth sharing because you might recognise yourself in one of these stories.
The “Switcher”: Started smoking cigarettes 10, 15, 20 years ago. Switched to vaping thinking it was the healthier option and the stepping stone to quitting altogether. But the stepping stone became a permanent fixture. Now they’re vaping more heavily than they ever smoked, and they feel stuck.
The “Never-Smoker” Vaper: Picked up vaping in their late teens or twenties. Never touched a cigarette. Didn’t think it was a big deal because “it’s just water vapour” (it’s not). Now they’re hitting it every few minutes and get anxious if they can’t find their device. They’re genuinely addicted and often shocked when they realise it.
The “Regulation-Pushed” Quitter: With disposable vapes now banned and access restricted to pharmacies, some people are finding it harder to get their hands on the product they were using. The supply disruption has created a window of motivation – and they’re smart enough to use it as a launchpad for quitting properly, not just switching to whatever’s still available.
Whichever category you fall into, the process is the same: your subconscious needs to be updated, and you need the right tools to fill the gaps that vaping used to fill. That’s what we do together.
The Health Risks Your Vape Isn’t Telling You About
I’m not a doctor, and I’ll always recommend you speak to your GP about specific health concerns. But as a clinical hypnotherapist who’s worked with hundreds of people dealing with nicotine addiction, I stay across the research. And the research on vaping health risks has become increasingly concerning.
The Australian Government’s Department of Health states clearly that e-cigarettes are not harmless. Documented short-term effects include e-cigarette associated lung injury, persistent coughing, throat irritation, nicotine dependence, nausea, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. E-cigarette aerosol can contain chemicals known to cause cancer, including formaldehyde and heavy metals like lead.
The TGA itself has stated that vapes are not recommended as a first-line treatment for quitting smoking. Their recommended first-line approaches include behavioural support and approved nicotine replacement therapy products. Clinical hypnotherapy falls under behavioural support – it’s a drug-free, evidence-informed approach that addresses the psychological drivers of addiction.
Also alarming: there have been recent cases in NSW of vape liquids contaminated with nitazenes – a potent synthetic opioid. Between 2018 and 2025, 11 hospitalisations in NSW were linked to vapes containing these substances. Not all were purchased knowingly. That should give anyone pause about what they’re actually inhaling.
Ready to quit vaping for good? Call Michael on 0408880606 or book online → quitsmokingwollongong.com/contact-us
Frequently Asked Questions About Quitting Vaping with Hypnotherapy
Can hypnotherapy really help me quit vaping, not just smoking?
Absolutely. The nicotine addiction mechanism in your brain is the same whether the delivery method is a cigarette or a vape. Clinical hypnotherapy works on the subconscious patterns driving the addiction, not the specific product. I’ve successfully helped vapers quit using the same advanced techniques I use for cigarette smokers, adapted for the unique patterns of vaping behaviour.
How many sessions will I need to quit vaping?
My approach is designed around a single comprehensive session. The vast majority of clients – smokers and vapers alike – quit in that one session. However, if you ever need additional support, that’s covered under the lifetime guarantee at no extra cost.
Is hypnotherapy safe?
Completely. Hypnotherapy is a natural, drug-free therapy. You’re aware and in control throughout the entire session. You cannot be made to do anything against your will. You cannot get “stuck” in hypnosis. It’s essentially a state of deep relaxation and focused attention. There are no side effects.
I’ve only been vaping for a year or two. Do I still need professional help?
Duration doesn’t determine difficulty. Some people who’ve vaped for 18 months are more deeply addicted than 20-year cigarette smokers, because of the constant-use nature of vaping and the high nicotine concentrations in many products. If you’ve tried to stop on your own and couldn’t, or if the thought of going a day without your vape makes you anxious, professional support can make the difference.
What about using pharmacy vapes to “taper down” my nicotine?
Therapeutic vapes available through pharmacies are regulated for people managing nicotine dependence, and that’s a conversation to have with your GP. However, tapering down still means you’re consuming nicotine – you’re managing the addiction rather than resolving it. Hypnotherapy aims to eliminate the desire for nicotine altogether by addressing the root psychological patterns. Many of my clients find that after their session, they simply don’t want or need nicotine in any form.
Do you offer sessions online, or do I need to visit Wollongong?
My clinic is located in (), within the Wollongong region. I offer both in-person and online sessions, and the choice is entirely yours; whichever feels more comfortable and practical.
Some clients prefer the face-to-face experience, while others choose the convenience of working online from home. Both formats are effective, and I regularly achieve strong outcomes with each.
If you’re unsure which option suits you best, feel free to get in touch, and we can discuss what will work best for you.
2026 Is Your Window – Don’t Let It Close
Here’s something I genuinely believe: with Australia’s vaping regulations tightening, the products changing, and supply becoming less reliable, 2026 is the perfect moment to quit vaping properly. Not just switch products. Not just cut down. Quit.
The regulations have created an opportunity. Your access is already disrupted. Your routine is already being challenged by product changes. Instead of fighting to maintain your addiction through those disruptions, why not use this moment to let it go entirely?
I’ve helped people quit cigarettes who smoked for 25, 30, even 40 years. I’ve helped vapers who thought they’d never be free of it. The testimonials on my website aren’t actors. They’re real people from the Wollongong community who took the step and changed their lives.
You can be one of them.
Call me on 0408 880 606. We’ll have a conversation. No sales pitch. Just an honest chat about whether this is right for you. Or book online and let’s get started.
You were born to be free of this. Let’s get you there.
– Michael Haber
Clinical Hypnotherapist (CHt. ClinHyp) | NLP Practitioner
Quit Smoking 4Good, Woonona, Wollongong NSW
Disclaimer: This article provides general health information only and should not be taken as medical advice. Hypnotherapy is a complementary therapy and individual results may vary. If you have health concerns related to vaping or nicotine dependence, please consult your GP. Information about Australian vaping regulations reflects the regulatory landscape at the time of publication (March 2026) and may be subject to change. For current regulation details, visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website.
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