*The names of the students interviewed are pseudonyms to protect their confidentiality.
7.8% of high schoolers—over 1.2 million students— used e-cigarettes in 2024. Within this group is an overlooked subset: those who are trying to quit.
Whether quitting is motivated by a New Year’s resolution or struggling to breathe at sports practice, many teenagers find themselves desperately attempting to end their addictions. But nicotine is notoriously addictive, and an overwhelming majority of students interviewed reported failing their attempts to quit.
Sally’s* journey to quitting vaping is one of the few success stories. She started vaping regularly as a freshman but managed to quit junior year. “Honestly, it was really embarrassing how all my friends were addicted, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could stop,” she said.
Her method? Quitting cold turkey. “It started when I went on vacation and didn’t bring it with me. Then I was like, you know what, I’ll just keep going,” she explained.
Her advice for those trying to do the same is to set small, realistic goals you can fully commit to instead of making promises you can’t keep. “I think it’s embarrassing to throw your vape out your window and then go buy one two hours later. You need to make a deal with yourself and actually quit,” she said.
For Abby*, attempting to quit has been a rocky journey. She started vaping as a sophomore but made a New Year’s resolution to quit the following year. “When I run during practice, my lungs hurt so badly, and I know it’s so bad for me. It’s a horrible habit, and I just don’t know why I even do it,” she explained.
She attempted to quit four times, each try lasting around a week and a half. For Abby, quitting is a social challenge. “I think the hardest part about quitting is that my friends aren’t. It’s still so accessible. If you want to quit, make sure not to surround yourself with it.”
One strategy that has helped her has been replacing vaping with eating candy. “I like sour candy a lot because instead of reaching for a vape, I’ll have a piece of candy, like a treat almost, instead,” she said. “Also, lollipops are great because they sort of recreate the motion.”
Though Kevin* first picked up a vape this year, he’s already unsuccessfully tried to quit. “I only started because I had held off for so long despite my friends constantly doing it, so I felt as though I could reward myself and buy my vape,” he explained.
When Kevin finally decided to quit, he began by drowning his vape in a glass of water. Though he successfully gave up using e-cigarettes, he continued to rely on nicotine. Kevin got his fix in through ZYNs, Swedish nicotine pouches placed between the gum and cheek that release nicotine to the bloodstream through the mouth.
Despite his own struggles, Kevin advises others to quit by breaking out of the repetitive hand-to-mouth motion. “Try nicotine gum or ZYNS first to get your fix in another way without needing to hit the vape itself,” he explained. “If you observe those around you and how many times a day they need to hit theirs, it puts how much you’re really doing it into perspective.”
Sarah* is another example of a success story. She began vaping in eighth grade, influenced by peer pressure and a desire to fit in. By December of her senior year, she fulfilled her resolution to quit.
“I first stopped owning my own and would use other people’s,” she explained. Like many others, Sarah’s wake-up call came during sports practices where she found it increasingly difficult to breathe.
“After a sort of scary season, I thought,‘Why am I still doing this?’” she said. “I’m about to go to college, and I definitely don’t want to have this problem there either.”
Sarah’s advice to others trying to quit may seem peculiar, but it might just do the trick. “I started watching videos about vaping, like the nitty gritty health effects and what your lungs would begin to look like, which really grossed me out,” she said. She also suggests talking to others who have quit and finding encouragement through discussion.
While it is a strenuous journey, quitting vaping is possible. Whether you switch to ZYNs, refuse to own, or replace a vape with candy, small steps are still steps. If you are looking to quit, check out The American Lung Association and The American Heart Association for more resources.
