Online social forums may be a valuable resource for young people looking to quit e-cigarettes

Many young people who use e-cigarettes want to quit, and according to a study published in Internet Interventions, online social forums may be a valuable resource.

According to the study, engagement with an online social community dedicated to quitting was associated with increased confidence in the ability to quit and stay quit. The online community was created through Discord, a social platform popular among teens and young people. 

The study was conducted among young people aged 13-24 enrolled in This is Quitting, a quit vaping program now part of EX Program. Teens enrolled in This is Quitting were 35% more likely to quit vaping nicotine within seven months compared to those not enrolled in the program, prompting researchers to explore a quitting resource with more in-depth and interactive social network. The results demonstrate how community support can positively impact people quitting nicotine. 

Truth Initiative’s EX Program combines the proven-effective text message support formerly provided through This is Quitting with the nation’s most established online quitting community, offering users the best methods for quitting, all in one place. 

Engagement with the online social forum increased confidence in quitting

More than half (57.4%) of those invited opted to join the Discord channel for quitting support, and 61.7% of those who joined engaged by contributing at least one message and/or reaction. Those who engaged with the Discord group reported higher levels of confidence in their ability to quit, compared to those who did not engage with Discord. 

This study builds on existing research showing that online support communities can help people quit nicotine. Research analyzing the impact of EX Program’s online community, the largest in the country, found that the combination of skill building, community support, and quitting medications, such as nicotine replacement therapy, yielded increases in 3-month abstinence from smoking when compared with skill building alone.

Digital cessation platforms that offer community support are critical to help people quit

The results of this study demonstrate how online social forums can potentially support young people who want to quit e-cigarettes. With EX Program, users can access the nation’s most established online quitting community, while also receiving the proven-effective text message support that can increase the odds of quitting by up to 40%. These resources, combined with personalized quit plans and advice and tips from Mayo Clinic, make EX Program the go-to guide for quitting nicotine and staying quit.