E-cigarette use prevalence (i.e., vaping nicotine) among young adults 18–24 years old (YA) increased from 5.2% in 20171 to 9.3% in 2019.2 Given the adverse impacts of nicotine on young people, the development of vaping cessation interventions is a public health priority. Further complicating the picture for YA are high rates and variable trajectories of poly-tobacco use, with products that present a continuum of risk. Co-use of combusted tobacco products (CTPs) is common among young adult e-cigarette users, with 50-80% reporting current cigarette smoking.
Ideally, YA would reject all forms of nicotine use, avoiding the known harms of CTPs and the uncertain health risks of e-cigarettes. An intervention that helps to build motivation, skills, and confidence to quit vaping may help some YA to avoid all tobacco products. Alternatively, there is concern that an intervention that encourages cessation of a less harmful11 form of nicotine use (i.e., e-cigarettes) may result in an increase in nicotine use through more harmful products (i.e., CTPs)
