A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that varenicline, a treatment initially designed to help adults quit smoking, could significantly increase the likelihood of young people aged 16 to 25 quitting vaping. The results indicate that participants who received this treatment achieved cessation rates three times higher than those in the placebo group.
To conduct this work, the researchers recruited 261 e-cigarette users, randomly assigned to three groups: one receiving varenicline, another a placebo, and a third receiving only a text-based support service, called "This is Quitting." The varenicline group was treated for 12 weeks with a dosage of 1 mg twice daily, combined with weekly support and access to text-based support.
Weekly monitoring of vaping cessation was validated by saliva tests measuring cotinine, a marker of nicotine exposure. At the end of the 12 weeks, 51% of youth in the varenicline group had stopped vaping, compared to only 14% in the placebo group and 6% for those who received only text support.
Varenicline, marketed under various names such as Chantix, works by binding to nicotinic receptors in the brain, blocking the euphoric effects of nicotine. This action explains its effectiveness in smoking cessation and, now, in helping teens stop vaping.
According to Dr. A. Eden Evins, director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), this therapeutic strategy offers a promising solution to a real public health issue. Dr. Randi Schuster, of the Center for School Behavioral Health, emphasizes the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, also observed during the study.
By 2023, about a quarter of American youth ages 18 to 25 were vaping, and nearly 8% of high school students were regular e-cigarette users. These products, like traditional cigarettes, pose a risk of nicotine addiction, carcinogens, heavy metals, and lung inflammation.
At the end of the three-month post-treatment follow-up, 28% of the varenicline group were still abstinent, compared to only 7% in the placebo group and 4% in the text message support group, confirming the durability of the treatment effect.
The observed side effects were consistent with previous studies on varenicline, including nausea, insomnia, and sleep disturbances. Dr. Evins said many young people were surprised and distressed by how quickly they became addicted to vaping.
