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Study: Nearly half of teens who vape say they want to quit

Nearly half of teens who vape say they want to quit, an analysis has found. Photo by kevsphotos/Pixabay
Nearly half of teens who vape say they want to quit, an analysis has found. Photo by kevsphotos/Pixabay

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Forty-five percent of teenagers who use e-cigarettes want to quit the habit, according to an analysis published Monday by JAMA Pediatrics.

Moreover, one in four young people who vape said they have tried to quit -- unsuccessfully -- at least once in the past year, the researchers found.

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"Families and teens should know that like all tobacco products, nicotine vaping products are addictive," analysis co-author Tracy Smith told UPI.

"Teens who are struggling to quit should talk with their doctors," said Smith, an assistant professor of addiction science at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Recent research has found that just over 25% of American high school students use e-cigarettes at least periodically and 12% report that they vape daily.

For their research, Smith and her colleagues surveyed nearly 15,000 teens ages 12 to 17 on their use of e-cigarettes and their intention, if any, to quit as part of the Population Assessment on Tobacco and Health study.

Of the survey participants, roughly 500, or 3.6%, said they had used an e-cigarette product in the past 30 days. Just over 50% said they wanted to quit vaping within the next 30 days, while 17% hoped to do so within the next year, the researchers said.

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Among teen e-cigarette users surveyed, 57% reported experiencing symptoms of depression and 61% indicated they had symptoms of anxiety, the researchers said.

"A significant portion of adolescents who vape want to stop vaping," Smith said. "Funding is needed for the development of cessation interventions."

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