A recent study, co-led by a researcher from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, sought to identify the most effective strategies to help people quit vaping. The results, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, suggest that varenicline, a prescription medication often used to help people quit smoking, and SMS interventions may aid individuals in their efforts to stop vaping.
Growing Demand for Vaping Cessation Support
"This is an area of research that is in its infancy but is growing rapidly and organically due to people who vape asking for help to stop," said lead author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, a Senior Research Fellow in Health Policy and Management at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and Cochrane Editor. "We also know that people using vaping as a means of quitting tobacco are often keen to know how they can safely move away from vaping without returning to smoking, which is really important."
Study Identifies Promising Interventions
In the study on vaping cessation, the team of scientists, including co-lead authors Nicola Lindson and Ailsa Butler from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, identified nine relevant randomized trials involving over 5,000 participants. The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tools that have been tested to help individuals quit vaping.
The study found that programs designed to provide support through text messaging appear effective for young people aged 13 to 24. The prescription medication varenicline, commonly used to help people quit smoking, showed potential effectiveness for adults trying to quit vaping. However, due to the limited number of studies, the evidence for both approaches was low certainty and requires further investigation, the researchers explain.
Key Findings
The study found that:
- Text messaging programs showed promise for younger individuals aged 13-24. These programs often combine motivational content with social norms and practical tips for quitting.
- Varenicline, a medication typically used to help smokers quit, may be beneficial for adults trying to quit vaping. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.
- While e-cigarettes have been shown to be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) for helping smokers quit, the evidence for their use as a cessation aid for vapers is less conclusive.
Urgent Need for More Research
"Through the findings of our Cochrane Review, healthcare professionals now have some initial evidence of specific approaches they can recommend, particularly for young people wanting to quit vaping," Butler explained. "However, we urgently need more research to explore these and other approaches."
Hartmann-Boyce affirms that more relevant studies are underway and that the issue will remain a high priority for Cochrane. "This is a very early area of research," she said. "This is a living systematic review, and we will search for new evidence every month and update the review as it is published, as we know this research is evolving."
