E-cigarette and combustible cigarette cessation patterns, reasons, and methods among adolescents, young adults, and adults

Time for a Focus on Cessation of E-Cigarettes

“…Among cigarette smokers, dual use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes is common, and many who had successfully quit smoking in the past are reinitiating nicotine use with e-cigarettes. Many youth and adults who use e-cigarettes experience nicotine addiction and physical dependence and are keen to quit e-cigarettes . However, in the national and worldwide discourse about the public health benefits vs harm of e-cigarettes there has been minimal focus on how to support individuals who want to stop using e-cigarettes, leading to a critical lack of evidence-based treatments.…”

Supporting Adolescents’ Desire to Quit E-Cigarettes

“…Studies show that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are interested in quitting but struggle to do so. 10 Among high school students who used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, 40.5% attempted to quit in the past year. According to the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, nearly two-thirds of adolescents who used any tobacco product reported seriously thinking about quitting, although these data did not differentiate between e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.…”

“…The primary reason for adolescents and young adults wanting to quit e-cigarettes was concern over risk or harm to health, including concerns over lung health. 10 Unfortunately, adolescents' methods for quitting tobacco, including e-cigarettes, are not generally effective, including identifying quitting "cold turkey" and selfrestriction as the 2 most common cessation strategies. When adolescents do cite effective methods for quitting, they often endorse cessation intervention methods that are delivered digitally.…”

“…When adolescents do cite effective methods for quitting, they often endorse cessation intervention methods that are delivered digitally. 10 There is an absence of studies on the effects and dosage of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for adolescents. Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved NRTs for anyone younger than 18 years (although many health care professionals prescribe NRTs for adolescents, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics).…”