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A free quit vaping program to Vermont’s youth and young adults

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The Center For Behavioral Health Integration, together with the Truth Initiative, are bringing a quit vaping program to Vermont’s youth and young adults

With a multitude of flavors available and discrete devices that can easily be concealed, e-cigarette use among youth, also known as vaping, has become a national epidemic. To help youth and young adults quit e-cigarettes C4BHI, a Montpelier Vt based partnership helping communities improve healthcare, is partnering with Truth Initiative to bring “This is Quitting,” a free mobile program, designed to help young people quit vaping. The first-of-its-kind text messaging program incorporates messages from other
young people like them who have attempted to, or successfully quit, e-cigarettes.


The messages show the real side of quitting, both the good and the bad, to help young people feel motivated, inspired and supported throughout their quitting process.


The program also sends young people evidence-based tips and strategies to quit and stay quit. Since the program was released in January 2019, more than 54,000 young people have enrolled nationwide.


Research shows that exposure to nicotine among youth is particularly dangerous since it has been shown to have an effect on key brain receptors, making young people more susceptible to nicotine addiction. Unfortunately, nicotine is highly addictive and found in high concentrations in some e-cigarettes, making quitting vaping incredibly difficult.


This is Quitting helps participants feel less alone and supported without judgment as they go through the quitting process. Thousands of young people have submitted their own messages of advice, encouragement and support to add to the program.


Those interested in enrolling in the program can simply text “VtVapeFree” to 88709. Users may set a quit date by texting in the desired date. They receive one support text per day for a week prior to and at least 30 days after their set quit date. If someone is looking to end their relationship with vaping but is not yet ready to set a quit date, the program will still send at least two weeks of messages to help the user become more confident and prepared to take the next steps to quit. With specific keywords users can
receive on-demand support for cravings, stress, and slips in addition to their scheduled interactive messages.

Flyers and palm cards with the text code and numbers are being distributed to interested schools, health care providers, and other community partners across Vermont who engage with youth and young adults. For more information about the program or to request materials contact Martina Anderson at [email protected]

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