A novel online vaping intervention and smoking prevention program for young adults who vape: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Background E-cigarette use (i.e., vaping) is prevalent among young adults in the U.S. Studies show that young adults who vape are more likely to initiate cigarette smoking than young adults who do not vape. Despite this, little research on vaping interventions and prevention of smoking for young adults who vape exist. Methods A 2-arm pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted by recruiting young adults ages 18–24 who reported vaping at least once per week in the past 30 days and having never smoked cigarettes at baseline. Participants will be recruited via social media ads and be randomly assigned to an intervention arm, which will be the Live Free From E-cigarettes (LIFFE) mobile-based program (n = 50), or a waitlist control arm (n = 50). The primary outcomes are biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence for nicotine vaping, vaping reduction, and smoking susceptibility. Outcomes are measured at 2-, 4-, and 8-weeks after randomization. Discussion This is the first RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile-based intervention that targets smoking susceptibility while also supporting vaping cessation or vaping reduction in young adults. Findings may inform future efforts to prevent transition to cigarette smoking and vaping cessation and reduction in young adults. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06129123; Date of registration: 11/10/2023.

Keywords

• E-cigarettes
• Smoking
• Tobacco
• Young adults
• Prevention
• Cessation