New Mexico Health Department Launches Quit Vaping Program

Live Vape Free is a national text-based program which is free of charge and offers free tools and resources by text message to help teens quit vaping. “Recent research by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that much of the progress made in nearly two decades of getting kids to quit smoking may be eroding, as so many teens are trying, but failing to quit vaping nicotine.” said Acting Department of Health Secretary, David R. Scrase, M.D. “This program will be a valuable tool to assist our young people in quitting e-cigarettes and it will provide educational tools for parents, guardians, and teachers.”

The program is mainly targeted at teens aged between 13 and 17, and provides one-on-one coaching, live text support, and interactive content to help them quit. “Live Vape Free is designed to help teens find their “why” when quitting by:

• Educating teens on the keys to quitting nicotine.
• Boosting overall confidence among teens looking to quit.
• Motivating and inspiring users to learn more about the implications to their long-term health by getting and staying nicotine-free.”

“New Mexico is one of only five states to launch both the youth and adult components of the program, out of the just 13 states using the Live Vape Free program. To register, all teens have to do is text VAPEFREE to 873373.  Adults will need to register online at LiveVapeFreeNM.com,” explained a release on the DOH website.

The potential of vapes overshadowed by media headlines

Meanwhile, a recent article published in the American Journal of Public Health, highlighted that the potential of smoking cessation via e-cigarettes is being largely overshadowed by media coverage on the potential risks that vaping may represent for teens.

Kenneth Warner, dean emeritus and the Avedis Donabedian Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, and 14 other past presidents of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco co-authored the piece, highlighted that the health community must focus on the scientific data available.

“Because evidence indicates that e-cigarette use can increase the odds of quitting smoking, many scientists, including this essay’s authors, encourage the health community, media, and policymakers to more carefully weigh vaping’s potential to reduce adult smoking-attributable mortality,” reads the article.

The authors reviewed the health risks of e-cigarettes, their potential for smoking cessation and addressed the concerns about youth vaping. Taking all this into consideration they then highlighted the need to balance any valid concerns regarding teen vaping and the products’ potential benefits for adult smoking cessation.

Study: Texting Might Help Teens And Young Adults Quit Vaping