• by Les Luchter , August 12, 2024

Demonstrating “the power of a relatively simple technology in changing behavior,” a text messaging program from nonprofit Truth Initiative called “This is Quitting” has resulted in 35% more teens quitting e-cigarettes than seen in a control group.

The clinical trial, whose results were published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, ran from October 2021 to October 2023.  During that time, Truth Initiative studied 1,503 13-17 year-olds who had reported e-cigarette use during the past 30 days and who were interested in quitting. After seven months in the interactive text message program, quit rates were 37.8% compared with 28% in the control group.

“Text messages serve as powerful reminders of an initial commitment to quit and can deliver proven behavior change support right to a young person's phone,” Dr. Amanda Graham, chief health officer at Truth Initiative, said in a statement.

Such intervention is particularly important given that, more than 2.1 million adolescents reported e-cigarette use last year, Truth Initiative says, and a survey by the group found that 67% of 15- to 24-year-old e-cigarette were considering quitting as a New Year's resolution.

Participants in the clinical study were recruited via ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.

The paid compensation aspect of the texting, “designed solely to maximize retention,” involved a $5 payment per users’ text response (totaling $35 for seven assessments).

Two weeks into the program, participants received a text message reading, “Checking in: Have you cut down how much you vape nicotine in the past 2 weeks? Respond w/letter: A = I still use the same amount, B = I use less, C = I don’t use at all anymore).”

Additional text messages were sent monthly for six months (e.g., “How’s the quit going? When was the last time you vaped nicotine, even a puff of someone else’s? Respond w/ letter: A = In the past 7 days, B = 8-30 days ago, C = More than 30 days ago”).

Beyond this particular study, Truth Initiative has been running “This is Quitting” since January 2019, with more than 740,000 13- to 17-year-olds participating as of this past May.

A new video promoting the program provides some texts from program users, such as “Love you! Thanks so much for all of the help! I’m feeling confident already” and “This is amazing. Never gotten so much support right off the bat” and “thank you for your help. even if ur not real.”

During the video, Truth Initiative explains that “everyone has a cell phone, and text messaging is the preferred way to communicate. This is Quitting provides help the way you want it anonymously and privately and it's available 24/7 for support right when you need it.”

Truth Initiative has been active for some 20 years, first in anti-smoking before expanding into anti-vaping. The group has been recognized for its numerous anti-vaping ad campaigns including the “Toxic Therapist,” and the Grand-Effie winning “Depression Stick” and “Breath of Stress Air.”

Participants in  This is Quitting’s clinical study were characterized by the severity of their past-year problems with depression, sleep, anxiety, trauma, and substance use, Truth Initiative says. In addition, “moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence were observed across multiple measures, with more than three-quarters (76.2%) of teens vaping within 30 minutes of waking — a common way to measure addiction.”

This is Quitting was found to be effective among what Truth Initiative termed key subgroups defined by race, ethnicity, gender, higher levels of nicotine dependence, smoking and other substance use, mental health challenges, and household dysfunction.