Remote youth program with young-adult counselors and an app to help teens stop vaping and avoid cigarettes

Remote, Young Adult Lay-Counselor Delivered Behavioral and Digital Intervention for Youth to Promote Vaping Cessation and Prevent Escalation of Tobacco Use

NIH-funded research Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11187243

This program offers teens remote support from young-adult counselors plus a smartphone app to help them stop vaping and avoid starting cigarette smoking.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionMassachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Boston, United States)
Project IDNIH-11187243 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would work with a young-adult lay counselor through remote sessions and use a digital app that delivers tips, tracking, and reminders tailored to vaping cessation. The program combines behavioral counseling delivered by relatable counselors with app-based tools to support quitting and reduce relapse. The team will follow up regularly to track your vaping, offer support, and encourage abstinence. Participation is designed for high-school-aged teens and delivered so you can join from home using a phone or computer.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: High-school-aged adolescents who currently use electronic nicotine devices (vape) and are interested in remote, app-based counseling to stop.

Not a fit: People who only smoke traditional cigarettes, are outside the targeted adolescent age range, or who are not willing to use a smartphone app and remote counseling may not benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could help teens quit vaping, reduce nicotine dependence, and lower the chance of progressing to combustible tobacco use.

How similar studies have performed: There are few proven treatments specifically for adolescent vaping, so this combined lay-counselor plus digital approach is relatively new though counseling and apps have shown benefits for adult smoking cessation.

Where this research is happening

Boston, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.