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We are all familiar with the cliché image of the age-old couple smoking their post-coital cigarettes to demonstrate bedroom bliss. Smoking after sex seems to be a bit like having that left over pizza you've been craving for breakfast; not great for you, but still satisfying.
But what is it about smoking that makes us so tempted to reach for the cigarettes after sex? And could vaping after sex replace the smoking phenomenon? We take a look at whether post-coital vaping could be the next big thing.
Updated: 26th Jan 2020
Why do we smoke after sex?
After conducting a study on social polling app Winq, CEO Lindsey Cummins found that 81% of regular smokers find they always have and/or crave a cigarette after sex and 58% of those say that this is one of their favourite times to smoke.
But why is this? Kelly Connell, Sex Educator at Naughty North, sheds some light:
'People smoke after sex for a few different reasons:
- After orgasm our bodies go into a refractory period where they relax and smoking helps a person to relax even further.
- After the relaxation period comes the buzz. Giving your system a hit of nicotine into your bloodstream restricts blood vessels and increases heart rate. This will give a person a light buzz. Because the heart is pumping blood a little faster it can make the refractory period shorter and desire may return faster. In other words, you may want sex again sooner after smoking.
- After sex some people want to sit back and have a moment to themselves to reflect on what just happened. Smoking while doing this often helps people focus their thoughts.
- It could just be plain habit. If a smoker has gone without smoking for the duration of sex and perhaps for a while before, they are simply craving nicotine.'
Could the e-cig replace the regular cig?
Needless to say, vaping is becoming increasingly popular. With it's obvious health and cost benefits, it's easy to see why the nation is getting on board. But could the e-cig settle the post-sex nicotine craving that cigarettes satisfy?
E-cigs contain an electable amount of nicotine, without the thousands of other chemicals that accompany it in a tobacco cigarette. Also, because e-cigs are so efficient, they can generate the same amount of nicotine as a traditional cigarette with fewer drags. Because vaping can give you the same throat kick that's part of the 'buzz' period, it's a perfectly acceptable solution to settle the post-sex need for nicotine.
While vaping after sex is both popular and satisfying, it’s seemingly not as addictive as the tobacco cig. After asking the people of Reddit whether the post-sex vape was as good as the post-sex smoke, responses seemed to be mixed. The majority however, claimed they do not crave an e-cig after sex in the same way they did the traditional cigarette. Nevertheless, if less addictive, vapers can avoid the all-consuming need to smoke and avoid an irritated partner complaining of smelling like an ashtray.
If you need a little more of a push in the direction of the e-cig instead of the traditional ones, it turns out e-cigs can actually reduce the negative sex-life implications of a traditional cigarette. Studies have found that just two regular cigs can dwindle your sex life by reducing the chances of an erection. In short, if you do get post-coital cravings, it's best to opt for the e-cig!
Do you vape after sex? Let us know in the comments!