Teens and young adults who took varenicline — an FDA-approved, twice-daily smoking cessation pill for adults — are more than three times as likely to successfully quit vaping compared to those who received only behavioral counseling, according to a new study from Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham. Results are published in JAMA.
“Vaping is extremely popular among kids, and we know that this early nicotine exposure can make drugs like cocaine more addictive down the line, yet ours is the first treatment study to look at this vulnerable population,” said lead author A. Eden Evins … .
“Not only was varenicline effective in this age group — it was safe. Crucially, we didn’t see any participants that quit vaping turn to cigarettes,” said Randi Schuster, founding director of the Center for School Behavioral Health at MGH and associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, HMS. “Our findings illustrate the effectiveness and safety of this therapy to address the urgent public health concern of adolescents addicted to nicotine because of vapes.”
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