UW-CTRI Director Dr. Hasmeena Kathuria and Research Director Dr. Megan Piper served on the American Thoracic Society expert panel who reviewed the latest evidence on adolescent vaping and made several important recommendations. Among them: Clinicians should consider prescribing varenicline and offering technology-based support, such as text messaging programs, to help teens quit vaping.
“While varenicline is not yet FDA-approved for adolescents, emerging evidence and this clinical practice guideline supports its use,” Kathuria said. “Furthermore, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends considering pharmacotherapy, including varenicline, for adolescents with moderate to severe tobacco use disorder who want to quit.”
Pediatric health clinicians play a vital and trusted role in the lives of their patients. They are uniquely positioned to educate adolescents about the health harms of vaping, encourage quitting, and provide evidence-based cessation support. “I hope this new clinical practice guideline empowers more clinicians to initiate treatment and help youth successfully quit,” Kathuria said.
The panel, including Piper, recommended technology-based programs like “This Is Quitting” (now known as the “EX Program”), which has been shown in JAMA to help young people address their vaping, including a 38% quit rate at seven months after the quit date.
They pointed out the need for more research, especially trials that have biochemically confirmed abstinence rates, better adherence to treatments, improved retention rates and state-of-the-science treatment comparisons.
Bauer SE, Macrea M, Casey A, Dagil E, Eakin MN, Farber HJ, Gonzalez P, Hayes D, Hu SW, Kathuria H, Knight SL, Moraes TJ, Neptune ER, Piper ME, Skeen EH, Ueng CS, Upson D, Walley SC, Rao DR. (2025) Treatment of Nicotine Use in Adolescents Under 18 Years of Age: An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 211;9. Online September 1, 2025.