In my clinical practice, I often get questions about helping people quit e-cigarettes. Most queries come from parents of adolescents who vape, rather than the adolescents themselves. The central question is, “What works to help people quit e-cigarettes?”
A recent study by Coponnetto et al., published in BMC Medicine, evaluated the efficacy of varenicline for e-cigarette cessation (BMC Med. 2023 Jul 5;21(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12916-023-02919-2. PMCID: PMC10321010). In the trial, 140 adults who exclusively vaped and planned to quit within 30 days were randomly assigned to varenicline or placebo, both alongside counseling. Saliva tests for cotinine confirmed quit rates at 12 and 24 weeks.
The investigators found the continuous quit rate between weeks 4 and 12 was 40% with varenicline, compared to 20% with placebo. Serious side effects were rare in both groups.
Varenicline effectively doubles the quit rate up to six months by blocking nicotine's effects in the brain's reward center. However, it requires a prescription, may not be insurance-covered, and can be expensive. Also, it's not FDA-approved for those under 16.
For adolescents, the Truth Initiative offers a first-of-its-kind, free program called "This is Quitting." It has reached over 600,000 young people and offers text-based support for those aged 13 to 24. To enroll, visit thetruth.com or text "DITCHVAPE" to 88709.
Many options are emerging to help patients quit e-cigarettes, and that's promising news.
