Barriers to vape (e-cigarette) cessation encountered by adolescents who attempted to quit

Factors associated with vape (e-cigarette) cessation among adolescents remain poorly understood. This study aimed to describe barriers encountered by youth who attempted to quit vaping, identify correlates of these barriers, and examine their associations with abstinence.

Cross-sectional data were drawn from 6,808 students participating in the 2022/23 COMPASS host study who reported a past attempt to quit vaping. Seven items were used to assess perceived cessation barriers and were combined into a cumulative barrier score. Adjusted regressions were used to examine associations between this score as well as individual barrier items and sex, age, family-level material deprivation, use of other tobacco products, and past-30-day e-cigarette abstinence.

Over half of adolescents (57%) reported at least one barrier, with "being addicted" (44%), "feeling less in control of moods" (37%), and "fear of failing to quit" (30%) being most frequently endorsed. Females had nearly twice the mean barrier score (mean ratio: 1.77 [1.63-1.90]) and were more likely to report all barriers, especially "weight gain concerns" (aRR: 2.36 [1.99-2.79]). Higher scores were also observed among older adolescents (ratio: 1.37 [1.22-1.52]), those experiencing greater material deprivation (1.12 [1.04-1.19]), and those who used other tobacco products (1.71 [1.58-1.85]). Among females and older adolescents, both individual barriers and the cumulative score were associated with a lower likelihood of abstinence.

Adolescents face multiple and intersecting barriers when attempting to quit vaping. These barriers vary across groups and are linked to reduced abstinence, underscoring the need for tailored cessation interventions.