Digital Cessation for Youth: What Works When Teenagers Want to Quit
Teenagers who want to quit nicotine are unlikely to call a quitline or visit a counselor. They are likely to use digital tools—apps, text programs, chatbots. Developing youth-centered digital cessation is a public health priority that is severely underfunded.
An adolescent who vapes and wants to quit will not call a 1-800 number. They will search for help on their phone. The digital cessation tools that exist are designed for adults—the language, the examples, the interface are all calibrated for an older audience. **Youth-centered digital cessation—apps designed for adolescents, text programs that speak their language, chatbots trained on youth-specific concerns—is a public health priority. The demand exists (majority of youth nicotine users want to quit). The supply does not.**
