First-of-its-kind randomized clinical trial
shows teens 35% more likely to quit vaping nicotine with an
interactive, tailored text message program
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking new study published today 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.
"For many years, healthcare providers, teachers, and parents
have been asking how to help teens quit vaping," said Dr.
Amanda Graham, Chief Health Officer
at Truth Initiative and principal investigator of the study. "Until
today, we haven't had data to tell us what works. This study is a
critical breakthrough that demonstrates the power of a 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.
"We also did not see evidence that teens who quit vaping
transitioned to smoking," added Graham. "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."
This study builds on the findings of an earlier randomized
clinical trial of This is Quitting conducted among roughly 2,600
young adults ages 18 to 24. Taken together, the studies provide
strong evidence that an interactive, tailored text message program
can help teens and their older peers break free from nicotine
addiction.
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.
Background
The clinical trial was conducted by Truth
Initiative with oversight from Advarra Institutional Review Board.
All branding was removed in the trial to eliminate potential bias.
Participants were recruited via social media ads. All participants
received incentivized text message assessments regarding
e-cigarette use and abstinence at 14 days post-randomization and
monthly thereafter through 6 months. All participants were
compensated $5 via digital card per
response (7 assessments total, maximum $35). These assessments were designed solely to
maximize retention; they were not analyzed as outcomes.
This trial was funded by Truth Initiative.
About Truth Initiative®
Truth
Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization
committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering
healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to
prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower
quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading
cessation EX Program and the nationally
recognized truth® public education
campaign, we are leading the fight against youth and young adult
tobacco use, which threatens to put a new generation at risk of
nicotine addiction. Our first-of-its-kind text message quit vaping
program, This Is Quitting, has enrolled over 750,000 young people
across the country, and our youth e-cigarette prevention
curriculum, Vaping: Know the truth®, is
currently implemented in over 9,000 schools nationwide, reaching a
total of over one million students thus far. Our rigorous
scientific research and policy studies, community and youth
engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using
tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment continue to
contribute to ending one of the most critical public health battles
of our time. Based in Washington,
D.C., our organization was established and funded through
the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from
46 states, five U.S. territories, and the tobacco industry. To
learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.
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SOURCE Truth Initiative