Youth Cessation Barriers: Why Teenagers Who Want to Quit Can't Get Help
Most youth nicotine users want to quit. Almost none have access to cessation support. The barriers: cost, confidentiality, and the absence of youth-specific programs. The demand exists. The supply does not.
A 16-year-old who vapes daily wants to quit. They can't tell their parents (stigma, punishment). They can't access the healthcare system independently (cost, confidentiality). They can't find youth-specific cessation support (it doesn't exist in their community). **The barriers to youth nicotine cessation are structural: the healthcare system is not designed to serve adolescents independently, and the cessation programs that exist are designed for adults. The majority of youth nicotine users want to quit. They have almost no way to do so.**
