Treatment May Help Youth Quit Vaping

Nearly 1 in 4 youth between ages 18 and 25 regularly vape nicotine using e-cigarettes. Vaping puts youth at risk for nicotine addiction. It can also expose them to harmful chemicals. A new study showed that a smoking cessation drug may help youth quit vaping.

A drug called varenicline is FDA-approved for smoking cessation in adults. It works by blocking some effects of nicotine in the brain. This makes nicotine less enjoyable and reduces cravings.

The new study included 261 participants, ages 16 to 25, who vaped nicotine almost daily. They were divided into three groups. All the groups received a referral to a free text messaging-based program called “This is Quitting.” It encourages people to quit vaping. One group was only given this referral. The other two groups received weekly counseling with a person trained to help youth stop vaping. One of these groups also took the drug varenicline twice a day. The other took an inactive placebo pill.

After 12 weeks, 51% of those taking varenicline had stopped vaping. Only 14% of those taking the placebo had quit. Just 6% of those who received only a referral stopped.

By six months, 28% of those who took varenicline still weren’t vaping, compared to 7% of those who took the placebo. Only 4% of those in the text-only group were still vape free.

“Vaping is extremely popular among kids,” says Dr. A. Eden Evins at Massachusetts General Hospital. “We know that … early nicotine exposure can make drugs like cocaine more addictive down the line.”

More research is needed to learn how best to use the drug to reduce vaping among teens and young adults.