Name
#177 Overview of Challenges in Treatment Options for Youth Vaping
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
USPHS
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care
Learning Outcomes
Following this session, the attendee will be able to:
1. Describe how and why vaping has become common among youth and the health risks it poses.
2. Recognize common challenges that make it hard for youth to quit vaping.
3. Explain the main types of treatments used to help youth stop vaping, including behavioral and medication-based options.
4. Discuss why current treatment and prevention efforts are limited or inconsistent.
5. Identify ways healthcare providers and communities can better support youth in quitting vaping.
1. Describe how and why vaping has become common among youth and the health risks it poses.
2. Recognize common challenges that make it hard for youth to quit vaping.
3. Explain the main types of treatments used to help youth stop vaping, including behavioral and medication-based options.
4. Discuss why current treatment and prevention efforts are limited or inconsistent.
5. Identify ways healthcare providers and communities can better support youth in quitting vaping.
Session Currently Live
Description
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), commonly known as vapes or e-cigarettes, have been among the most widely used nicotine products by youth and young adults in the United States since 2014. Although prevalence has declined from 11.3% to 5.9% between 2022 and 2024, an estimated 1.6 million adolescents continue to vape, posing a persistent and evolving public health concern. This poster presentation summarizes findings from a literature-based whitepaper developed by the Smoking and Tobacco Use Advisory Committee (STUAC) examining the current challenges and limitations in youth vaping cessation and treatment.
This review examines challenges in youth vaping cessation, including treatment limitations and barriers to effective intervention. A structured public health literature review was conducted between May and June 2025 using PubMed to find primary literature and Google to find high-quality practice guidelines. Thirty-four high-quality studies and references were analyzed to evaluate cessation strategies, pharmacologic options, behavioral approaches, and systemic obstacles.
Five themes emerged: (1) urgent need for youth-specific cessation strategies, (2) importance of integrating behavioral, sociocultural, and pharmacologic methods, (3) mixed results for pharmacotherapies, (4) calls for stronger policy and education, and (5) persistent treatment barriers.
Current treatment options for youth remain limited. No Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved nicotine cessation products exist for individuals under 18, leaving clinicians to rely on behavioral interventions and off-label pharmacologic options. Effective behavioral approaches include motivational interviewing, contingency management, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Pharmacologic options like Nicotine Replacement Therapies, bupropion SR, and varenicline may be used off-label. Additional challenges include variable nicotine concentrations in vaping products, rapid vaping product innovation, inconsistent insurance coverage for cessation programs, and the absence of standardized clinical guidelines. These factors contribute to provider uncertainty when addressing vaping in youth and reduce the likelihood of successful intervention. Sociocultural and environmental factors further complicate cessation efforts. Peer influence, social media marketing, and targeted advertising continue to normalize vaping behaviors among adolescents.
This review underscores the need for a coordinated response that bridges clinical care, community engagement, and policy reform. Evidence-based, age-appropriate interventions and expanded access to culturally relevant resources are essential to reduce adolescent nicotine dependence and promote cessation.