QuitVaping behavioral program with texting support to help teens stop vaping
Behavioral Intervention for Youth to Promote Vaping Cessation
This trial will try QuitVaping plus extra texting to see if it helps teens aged 14–18 who vape nicotine quit more than standard education and referral alone.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 400 (estimated) |
| Ages | 14 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Massachusetts General Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Trial ID | NCT06765291 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Up to 400 adolescents (ages 14–18) who report at least weekly nicotine vaping will be randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either the QuitVaping intervention plus TIQ texting support or enhanced usual care (education, advice, and TIQ referral). The intervention arm includes 12 brief weekly intervention visits followed by monthly follow-ups through week 36, while all participants complete weekly blinded assessments with biochemical verification of abstinence. Assessments are conducted remotely or in person, and the person conducting outcome assessments is blinded to treatment assignment to minimize bias. The trial tests whether adding the structured QuitVaping program and proactive texting increases nicotine abstinence compared with enhanced usual care.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are 14–18 year olds who have vaped nicotine at least weekly for the past three months and are willing to try to quit or reduce vaping within 30 days, who can read English or Spanish and have a parent/guardian available for the opt-out process.
Not a fit: Patients who recently used smoking-cessation medications, are unwilling to abstain from other cessation aids, are regular combusted-tobacco smokers, or refuse biochemical testing or participation requirements are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could raise quit rates and reduce nicotine dependence and vaping-related harms among teens.
How similar studies have performed: Text-message cessation programs, including This is Quitting, have shown effectiveness for young people and adults, but intensive behavioral programs specifically targeting adolescent vaping are still an emerging evidence area.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 14-18 inclusive * Self-report of at least weekly nicotine vaping (or use of other non combusted nicotine products, "vaping") for the prior ≥3 months * Self-report of no regular combusted tobacco use (i.e., 5 or more days of smoke smoked tobacco use per week) prior to enrollment and exhaled CO \<10 ppm for those with an in person baseline visit * Report willingness to try to quit or reduce vaping in the next 30 days * Able to understand study procedures and read and write in English or Spanish * Have a parent or legal guardian who is able to participate in the opt out process * Competent and willing to provide written informed consent (if age 18) or assent (if under 18) Exclusion Criteria: * Use of a smoking cessation medication in the prior month (nicotine patch, gum, nasal spray, or inhaler, varenicline, bupropion) * Unwilling to abstain during the study from using smoking cessation aids other than those provided by the study * Unwilling to provide saliva or urine samples * Any condition or situation that would, in the investigator's opinion, make it unlikely that the participant could adhere safely to the study protocol
Where this trial is running
Boston, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Addiction Medicine, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 320, Boston, MA 02114 — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: A. Eden Evins, MD, MPH — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: A. Eden Evins, MD, MPH
- Email: aeevins@mgh.harvard.edu
- Phone: 617-643-4679
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.