A text message support program can help teens quit vaping nicotine Teens receiving the texts were 35% more likely to stay off nicotine vapes This is the first clinical trial of such a program THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- An interactive text-message support program can help teenagers quit vaping, a groundbreaking new clinical trial finds. Teens who subscribed to the anonymous program, called , were 35% more likely to report not vaping nicotine by the end of a seven-month study, researchers reported Aug.
7 in the This is the first clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a quit program among teens, researchers said. “Until today, we haven’t had data to tell us what works,” said lead researcher , chief health officer at Truth Initiative, an anti-tobacco nonprofit. “This study is a critical breakthrough that demonstrates the power of a relatively simple technology in changing behavior,” Graham added in a Truth Initiative news release.
“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.” Young people need the help. In 2023, more than 2.
1 million teens reported that they currently vape, including nearly 5% of middle school students and 10% of high school students, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Interest is quitting is also high, with more than two-thirds (67%) of 15- to 24-year-old vapers considering quitting as .