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Hello Colleagues,
Following along with this month’s nicotine theme, here we’ll review evidence for sorely needed treatment: vaping cessation for teens. 10% of US high school students and 4.6% in middle school reported using e cigs in the last month. More, the methods they use for quitting are not evidence based.2 A few months ago, I dove deep into online interventions for alcohol use. As it turns out, tobacco settlement money has helped to advance this science for nicotine as well, and perhaps with less conflict of interest. In partnership with the Mayo Clinic, the Truth Initiative developed the Ex Program. It is accessible to anyone, but here we’ll focus on the data supporting its use in teens aged 13+ who can simply search “ex program” or text EXPROGRAM to 88709 to receive free text messaging tailored to them and their stage of change. This randomized controlled trial data shows 7-month self-reported quit rates 35% higher in treatment than control (37.8% intervention vs 28.0% control, RR 1.35 (1.17 to 1.57, p<0.001). Switch to or continuation of combustible tobacco was improved but no follow up data was gathered about oral nicotine use which was approximately 10% at baseline.
With this caveat, this difference is clinically significant, especially given the potential impact on a population level. Plus, secondary analysis shows that it may help reduce concurrent cannabis use. A similar study in young adults shows an effect, though more modest. Read on for details!
Andrea Truncali, MD MPH
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