Innovative experiment demonstrates a secure and successful method for adolescents to abandon e-cigarettes.
Vaping may not be as safe as advertised, with risks including nicotine addiction, exposure to carcinogens, heavy metals, and respiratory problems like pneumonia. But a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital could change that.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, this clinical trial involved 261 participants aged 16 to 25 who vaped daily or near daily. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first received the FDA-approved anti-smoking drug, varenicline, along with weekly behavioral counseling and support via the text service "This Is Quitting." The second group took a placebo with the same support, while the third relied solely on the text-based service.
After 12 weeks, a staggering 51% of participants taking varenicline had quit vaping, compared to just 14% in the placebo group and 6% in the text-only group. The benefits persisted at the 24-week follow-up, with varenicline users being four to seven times more likely to have successfully quit.
Lead author, Dr. Aidan Ivins, stated that this results "underscore the potential of medication to help young people break nicotine addiction." He added that this is the first study targeting this age group, which is especially vulnerable to long-term addiction. Co-author, Dr. Randi Schuster, Director of the Center for School Behavioral Health, noted that varenicline was not only effective but also safe for this population. Encouragingly, none of the participants who quit vaping switched to smoking cigarettes.
This study offers a glimmer of hope in the face of the growing public health challenge of youth vaping. Varenicline is now established as the first medication proven effective for adolescent and young adult vaping cessation. It offers clinicians an FDA-approved option (for ages 16 and above) that triples quit rates compared to behavioral interventions alone. With youth vaping rates on the rise, the urgency is clear, and varenicline could be a game-changer in the fight against nicotine addiction.
- The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that varenicline, an FDA-approved anti-smoking drug, could potentially aid in breaking nicotine addiction, especially among the vulnerable youth population.
- The clinical trial, involving 261 participants aged 16 to 25 who vaped daily or near daily, showcases varenicline's effectiveness in helping individuals quit vaping.
- After 12 weeks, 51% of participants taking varenicline had successfully quit vaping, compared to only 14% in the placebo group and 6% in the text-only group.
- These benefits persisted at the 24-week follow-up, with varenicline users being four to seven times more likely to have quit.
- Not only is varenicline effective, but it is also safe for this population, as noted by the study's co-author, Dr. Randi Schuster.
- Encouragingly, none of the participants who quit vaping switched to smoking cigarettes.
- With youth vaping rates on the rise, varenicline offers clinicians a safe and FDA-approved option (for ages 16 and above) that triples quit rates compared to behavioral interventions alone, making it a potential game-changer in the fight against nicotine addiction and chronic diseases like cancer and cardiovascular health.
