Smoking cessation drug varenicline shows potential to help youth quit vaping, study finds
May 15, 2025
Varenicline, sold under the brand names Chantix and Champix among others, is a medication used for smoking cessation (Photo: iStock)
A medication commonly used to help adults quit smoking cigarettes may provide a breakthrough for teenagers and young adults struggling to quit vaping, according to a new clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study found that varenicline, sold under brand names like Champix, dramatically increased the chances of young people successfully quitting nicotine vaping when combined with behavioral counseling.
“Vaping is extremely popular among kids, and we know that this early nicotine exposure can make drugs like cocaine more addictive down the line, yet ours is the first treatment study to look at this vulnerable population,” said lead author A. Eden Evins, director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
“We wanted to help teens and young adults quit, and we found that prescribing varenicline is the best way to do that.”
The 12-week randomised clinical trial included 261 participants aged 16 to 25 who vaped nicotine daily or almost daily and expressed interest in quitting. Researchers found that:
- 51 per cent of youth receiving varenicline remained abstinent during the final month of treatment, compared to just 14 per cent in the placebo group
- The benefits persisted even after treatment ended, with 28 per cent of the varenicline group still abstinent at the six-month follow-up, compared to only 7 per cent in the placebo group
The medication was well-tolerated, with similar rates of side effects between those receiving the active drug and those on placebo. Only two participants (2 per cent) in the varenicline group and one (1 per cent) in the placebo group discontinued the medication due to adverse effects.
All participants in the study received weekly behavioural counseling delivered remotely and were referred to a text messaging vaping cessation support programme called ‘This is Quitting’. A third group received only the text support without medication or counseling, showing significantly lower success rates.
“Not only was varenicline effective in this age group – it was safe. Crucially, we didn’t see any participants that quit vaping turn to cigarettes,” said Randi Schuster, founding director of the Center for School Behavioral Health at MGH.
“Our findings illustrate the effectiveness and safety of this therapy to address the urgent public health concern of adolescents addicted to nicotine because of vapes.”
The findings come at a critical time as youth vaping remains a major public health concern, and a ban on disposable vapes in the UK, part of a broader effort to reduce youth vaping, is set to take effect on 1 June.
Last year, the NHS has announced the rollout of a newly approved version of varenicline in England, to be offered through NHS Stop Smoking Services.
Meanwhile, a study last year has revealed that nicotine vapes, the most commonly used smoking cessation aid in England, are as effective as varenicline in aiding smoking cessation.
