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What the evidence actually says

Every claim below links to its source. If we couldn't source it, it isn't here.

Urge surfing, explained

Instead of fighting a craving, you observe it as a wave that rises, peaks, and falls — riding it out rather than white-knuckling it. The technique was developed by psychologist Alan Marlatt at the University of Washington's Addictive Behavior Resource Center, and is built into Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention.

UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute

Cravings are shorter than they feel

An individual craving episode typically lasts about 15–20 minutes if you don't act on it. That is the entire premise of the timer on the SOS screen.

NCI SmokefreeCleveland Clinic

What nicotine withdrawal actually is

Irritability, restlessness, trouble concentrating, low mood and appetite changes are the usual shape of it. Symptoms typically begin 4–24 hours after your last dose, peak around day 2–3, and fade over roughly 3–4 weeks. It is uncomfortable, and it is time-limited.

Cleveland Clinic

Why the first week matters most

Withdrawal is strongest in the first week, and that is also when relapse risk is highest — which is exactly why the first seven days get the most support here.

Cleveland ClinicNCI Smokefree

What the evidence says about behavioural support

Behavioural support alone carries a relative risk of about 1.76 for quitting versus going it unassisted. Behavioural support combined with medication does better still, at about 1.83. That is the category this app is in — it is not medication.

US Preventive Services Task Force

What the evidence says about NRT and medication

All forms of nicotine replacement therapy increase quit success by roughly 50–60% relative to using nothing (overall risk ratio about 1.55). Varenicline roughly doubles quit odds versus placebo (USPSTF pooled relative risk 2.24). Suitability and age restrictions vary — this is a conversation for a clinician or pharmacist, not an app.

CochraneUS Preventive Services Task Force

Text programmes have the strongest trial evidence in vaping specifically

In a randomised trial of young adults using the This is Quitting text programme, 7-month abstinence was 24.1% versus 18.6% for control. Support delivered by message is one of the few things with good evidence behind it for vaping in particular — stronger than an app on its own.

JAMA Internal MedicineTruth Initiative

What we don't know about vaping-specific recovery

Almost all rigorous recovery-timeline data comes from research on quitting combustible cigarettes. The granular hour-by-hour timelines you'll find on commercial recovery blogs — "nerve endings regrow at 48 hours", precise dopamine percentages — are not published by the CDC, the American Cancer Society, or the NCI. We don't show them, because we can't source them.

American Cancer SocietyCDC Stacks

What actually changes, and when

This timeline is adapted from research on quitting combustible cigarettes. Vaping-specific recovery data is far more limited, and nicotine exposure differs between products. Treat these as general direction, not a personal prognosis.

  1. 20 minutes

    Heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop

    American Cancer Society

  2. 12 hours

    Carbon monoxide in the blood drops to normal

    CDC Stacks

  3. 1–3 days

    Nicotine clears the bloodstream; withdrawal typically peaks around day 2–3

    Cleveland Clinic

  4. 2 weeks – 3 months

    Circulation improves; lung function begins increasing

    American Cancer Society

  5. 1–9 months

    Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia regain normal function

    American Cancer Society

  6. 1 year

    Risk of coronary heart disease drops to about half that of a continuing user

    American Cancer Society

  7. 5 years

    Stroke risk falls toward that of a non-user

    American Cancer Society

  8. 10 years

    Lung cancer death rate drops to about half that of a continuing smoker

    American Cancer Society

The 4 Ds

Four low-effort actions to ride out a time-limited craving.

Delay

Don't act for a few minutes. The urge is time-limited and it will drop.

Deep breathe

Slow breaths — in for four, out for six — for a couple of minutes.

Drink water

Sip slowly. It occupies your hands and your mouth.

Distract

Move to a different room, message someone, start a small task.

HALT

Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. A quick self-check before you decide anything.

H — Hungry

Eat something now, even something small.

A — Angry

Two minutes of slow breathing before you respond to anyone.

L — Lonely

Message one person, or call the quitline — it's staffed.

T — Tired

Lie down for ten minutes, or go to bed earlier than you planned.

HALT is widely used in recovery communities. It's practical shorthand rather than a technique attributed to a specific clinical body, and we won't dress it up as one.

Every source, in one place