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Hi! David Rosenberg here for the Psychopharmacology Institute. In this Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Smart Take, we will examine vaping cessation methods among U.S. adolescent e-cigarette users. Vaping, now an international epidemic, poses significant physical and emotional health risks. Understanding the effectiveness of adolescent interventions for vaping cessation is crucial. The authors of this study conducted an in-depth analysis of these methods and their success rates. A notable finding is that many adolescent e-cigarette users desire to quit vaping, with a significant number attempting to do so in the past year.
The authors focused on current (past 30-day) e-cigarette users who had attempted to quit at least once in the previous 12 months. They utilized data from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, exploring prevalence, associations, demographics, social factors, vaping behaviors, harm perception, and various cessation methods. The study involved over 1,400 current vapers, with approximately 70% having attempted to quit in the past year. Notably, over 60% reported unassisted quitting attempts.
The methods used varied. Peer support, internet help, mobile apps, text messaging, and parental support were among the top 4 cessation methods. However, the majority did not use any resources, opting for unassisted quitting.
Significant differences emerged in both the success and methods used. Female vapers were less likely to seek parental support compared with male vapers. In contrast, Hispanic vapers were more likely to seek peer or parental support than White vapers. Perceptions of vaping’s harmfulness also influenced the chosen method. Those who viewed vaping as harmful were less likely to seek peer support but more likely to use mobile apps or text messaging. Dual users of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products were more likely to seek help from teachers, coaches, or health professionals and receive treatment from medical facilities.
In summary, the adoption of vaping cessation methods varied significantly based on factors like gender, ethnicity, and perceived harm. This underscores the need for tailored, individualized approaches to meet adolescents’ cessation needs and preferences. The one-size-fits-all approach is ineffective. Recognizing that most adolescents attempt to quit unassisted, there is a need to make interventions more accessible, known, user-friendly, and tailored to the adolescent population.
As we enter a new era, with vaping now a common issue, healthcare professionals must adapt. Misconceptions about vaping’s safety are being challenged, and as more adolescents seek to quit, effective support is imperative. This shift demands an enhanced readiness to address and halt this potentially destructive behavior.
Abstract
Background: A large number of adolescent e-cigarette users intend to quit vaping or have past-year quit attempts. However, it remains unknown which methods they use in their vaping cessation efforts.
Methods: We analyzed current (past 30-day) e-cigarette users who made ≥1 quit attempt in the past 12 months from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) to examine the prevalence and associations of sociodemographic factors, vaping behaviors, and harm perception with the adoption of different vaping cessation methods.
Results: In the 2021 NYTS, there were 1436 current vapers, and 889 (67.9%) had made a past-year quit attempt. Of those, 575 (63.7%) (weighted N = 810 000) reported they did not use any resources (unassisted quitting). Peer support (14.2%), help on the Internet (6.4%), a mobile app or text messaging (5.9%), and parent support (5.8%) were the top 4 cessation methods. Female (versus male) vapers were less likely to solicit parent support (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.2; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.1-0.5), whereas Hispanic (versus White) vapers were more likely to seek friend support (AOR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9) and parent support (AOR, 2.7, 95% CI, 1.2-6.3). Those who perceived vaping to be harmful were less likely to get friend support, but more likely to use a mobile app or text messaging program. Dual users of e-cigarettes and any other tobacco product were more likely to get help from a teacher/coach or a doctor/health care provider and treatment from medical facilities than sole e-cigarette users.
Conclusions: There were different correlates with the adoption of vaping cessation methods, highlighting the need for tailored approaches to meet the cessation needs and preferences of the adolescent vaping population.
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Reference
Dai, H. D., Hanh, P., Guenzel, N., Morgan, M., Kerns, E., & Winickoff, J. P. (2023). Adoption of vaping cessation methods by US adolescent e-cigarette users. Pediatrics, 152(5), e2023062948.
