SAFE GC Coalition: Interactive Text Program Helps Youth Quit Vaping

A recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrates the effectiveness of an interactive and tailored text message program in helping adolescents quit vaping nicotine. This study is the first published randomized clinical trial of a quit vaping program among teens, filling an important gap in the scientific literature and providing much needed evidence for pediatricians, school administrators, and public health agencies.

Conducted from October 2021 to October 2023, the study involved 1,503 adolescents ages 13-17 from across the United States who reported past 30-day e-cigarette use and were interested in quitting. Compared to a control group, participants who received the interactive text message program were 35% more likely to report not using nicotine at the 7-month study endpoint. Quit rates were 37.8% in the intervention groups compared to 28% in the control group.

Dr. Amanda Graham, Chief Health Officer at Truth Initiative and principal investigator of the study stated that for many years, healthcare providers, teachers, and parents have been asking how to help teens quit vaping. Research was nonexistent in providing data that worked until now. This study is a critical breakthrough that demonstrates the power of relatively simple technology in changing behavior. Text messages serve as powerful reminders of an initial commitment to quit and can deliver proven behavior change support right to a young person’s phone.

Importantly, the researchers found strong evidence of the program's effectiveness among key subgroups defined by race, ethnicity, gender, higher levels of nicotine dependence, smoking and other substance use, mental health challenges, and household dysfunction.

These findings are especially important given the recent youth mental health crisis documented by the U.S. Surgeon General. Adolescents in this study were characterized by high severity of past-year problems with depression, sleep, anxiety, trauma, and substance use. In addition, moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence were observed across multiple measures, with more than three-quarters (76.2%) of teens vaping within 30 minutes of waking — a common way to measure addiction.

The text message intervention tested in this study is called This is Quitting, now part of the EX Program from Truth Initiative. Since This is Quitting launched as a text message program in 2019, more than 750,000 young people have enrolled from across the U.S. Grounded in clinical guidelines for treating tobacco dependence, This is Quitting incorporates powerful messages from other young e-cigarette users who have offered their advice about how to quit. Teens and young adults can text DITCHVAPE to 88709 to receive free quit vaping support from the program.

There is no safe level of nicotine use among adolescents, and yet e-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco product among young people, according to the CDC. In 2023, more than 2.1 million adolescents reported current e-cigarette use (4.6% of middle school students and 10% of high school students), with many of them doing so frequently, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey. Interest in quitting vaping also remains high: 67% of 15- to 24-year-old e-cigarette users said they were considering quitting as a New Year’s resolution, according to a 2023 Truth Initiative survey.

Researchers did not see evidence that teens who quit vaping transitioned to smoking. Additional analyses requested by the JAMA editorial team focused on use of combustible tobacco products since there is often a concern about transition between vaping and smoking. Even though This is Quitting does not explicitly address smoking, it was effective in reducing dual use (smoking and vaping) and keeping teens in this study from starting to smoke."

For more information about Truth Initiative, please visit truthinitiative.org. For more information about This is Quitting and the EX Program please visit truthinitiative.org/exprogram.

Keep aware, stay informed and avoid negative Live SAFE and work ardently to protect your youth through prevention education to avoid the negative consequence of nicotine addiction.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. The Coalition is concerned about all combustible and electronic products with marijuana and tobacco and youth consumption. The Agency is employing environmental strategies to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences in collaboration with Carol Meschkow, Manager- Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow www.facebook.com/safeglencove or to learn more about electronic products visit the Vaping Facts and Myths Page of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health www.safeglencove.org.