Varenicline helps young people stop vaping nicotine regardless of cannabis use

Varenicline helps young people stop vaping nicotine regardless of cannabis use

Nicotine vaping among adolescents and young adults has become an urgent public health concern as 2024 was the first year in which nicotine vaping was the most widely introduced drug. Although vaping is the most common way for young people to consume nicotine, there are few treatments to help those trying to quit nicotine. Furthermore, a 2022Drug addictionOne study reported that about half of young people who smoke nicotine also use cannabis, although the impact of this dual substance use on treatment outcomes remains unclear. A new clinical trial by researchers at Mass General Brigham found that varenicline — a medication that helps patients quit nicotine — was effective for smoking cessation regardless of cannabis use in a study of 261 participants ages 16 to 25. Your results will be published inJAMA network opened.

We need to increase the use of nicotine cessation treatments among young people, and we know that cannabis use is widespread in this population. It is fantastic news that cannabis use does not appear to be a barrier to successful smoking cessation with varenicline treatment, and we can use our findings to inform screening, treatment, planning and public health messaging going forward.”

Jodi Gilman, PhD, lead author, director of neuroscience, Center for Addiction Medicine, Mass General Brigham Department of Psychiatry

In a previously conducted randomized clinical trial, participants who smoked nicotine regularly received varenicline, placebo, or usual care throughout the 12-week study. All participants also had access to a text app to assist with nicotine cessation.

In the new study, researchers divided participants by cannabis use: 28% reported no use in the past month, 38% reported using one to three days per week, and 30% reported using four to seven days per week. Contrary to the authors' hypothesis, cannabis use did not prevent adolescents and young adults from achieving abstinence from nicotine vaping. Rather, they found that the likelihood of quitting smoking was similar across all levels of cannabis use and that varenicline was associated with higher abstinence rates from nicotine vaping than behavioral support interventions alone. Varenicline had no effect on frequency of cannabis use.

Future studies could examine the effects of integrated interventions targeting concurrent use of cannabis and nicotine that may provide additional benefit.

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