SAFE GC Coalition: Text Message Quit Vaping Program Helps Young People Quit

A new study published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy and funded by The Truth Initiative shows that a text message quit-vaping program designed to help young people quit nicotine can also help them cut cannabis use.

E-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product among young people for a decade. More recently, co-use of cannabis alongside nicotine e-cigarettes (“co-use”) has become more common among adolescents and young adults (YA). Estimates for the prevalence of nicotine vaping and cannabis co-use range from 16 to 50% among adolescent e-cigarette users and 34–60% among YA e-cigarette users.

Despite the high prevalence of co-use, few studies have addressed concurrent nicotine and cannabis use or cessation and there are no clinical practice guidelines regarding cessation treatment approaches for co-use. In the limited number of nicotine vaping cessation trials that have been conducted among young people, high rates of co-use were documented (72–75% among adolescents, 59% among YA) but treatment effects on cannabis use or co-use were not examined.

This research gap is particularly concerning given the compounded health risks associated with co-use. Nicotine vaping carries serious consequences including respiratory problems, mental health issues, and addiction. Cannabis use during adolescence is associated with structural brain changes affecting cognitive function, increased depression and suicidality risk, and heightened addiction liability. Cannabis vaping introduces additional risks including respiratory symptoms, E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI), and acute psychological effects. Co-use of nicotine and cannabis compounds these risks, leading to increased frequency and dependence for both products, poorer cessation outcomes and worse overall health functioning compared to single-substance use. Research is needed to inform the development of cessation treatment approaches for nicotine and cannabis co-use.

The study compared a tailored, interactive vaping cessation text message intervention tested in two trials among young people. Results demonstrated a significant treatment effect in promoting dual abstinence from nicotine e-cigarettes and combustible tobacco products, suggesting that targeting one form of substance use may have broader impacts on related substance use behaviors through shared mechanisms of behavior change. Addressing these issues is crucial for understanding the interplay between nicotine vaping and cannabis use in the context of cessation interventions, with important implications for the development of efficient and effective cessation programs for young people.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention, and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned with all combustible and electronic products with tobacco. The Agency employs environmental strategies to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences of smoking and vaping. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow www.facebook.com/safeglencove or to learn more about electronic products visit the Youth and Tobacco Use and Vaping Facts and Myths Pages of SAFE’s website to learn more about how vaping is detrimental to your health at www.safeglencove.org.

The Truth Initiative is the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empowering quitting. Research is conducted through the Truth Initiative Schroeder Institute that produces independent research to provide evidence for policy change and leadership in cessation research. For more information, please visit www.truthinitiative.org.