A landmark clinical trial from Mass General Brigham found that varenicline — the medication with the strongest evidence base for cigarette cessation — produced a 51% quit rate at 12 weeks among young vapers.
If you vape and have tried to quit, you already know how hard it is. The devices are engineered for constant use, the nicotine concentrations are high, and the behavioral habit is deeply wired. Most people who try to quit on their own fail. Most people who try behavioral therapy alone fail too.
Now, a landmark clinical trial published in JAMA, one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, has confirmed what many physicians suspected: varenicline, which has the strongest evidence base of any smoking cessation medication, produced comparable results for vaping in this trial.
Researchers from Mass General Brigham, the Harvard-affiliated health system, recruited 261 young adults aged 16 to 25 who vaped nicotine daily and wanted to quit. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups for 12 weeks:
The numbers are striking. More than half of participants taking varenicline had quit vaping by the end of the 12-week treatment period. By the six-month follow-up, 28% were still off nicotine entirely, compared to just 4% of those who relied on behavioral support alone.
"Vaping is extremely popular among kids, and we found that prescribing varenicline is the best way to help them quit."
Evins AE, et al. "Varenicline for Youth Nicotine Vaping Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA. 2025 Jun 3; 333(21):1876-1886. Mass General Brigham / Harvard Medical School.
About a quarter of adults aged 18 to 25 vaped regularly in 2023. Unlike cigarettes, which have been declining for decades, vaping rates among young adults have been climbing, driven by devices designed to be frictionless, discreet, and highly addictive.
Until this study, there was limited clinical evidence for treating vaping specifically. Physicians knew varenicline worked for cigarettes. They suspected it would work for vaping. Now there is direct evidence from a rigorous randomized controlled trial: it works, it's safe, and the quit rates are among the highest ever recorded for any nicotine cessation intervention.
Critically, participants who quit vaping did not replace it with cigarette smoking. And the medication was well-tolerated, only two participants dropped out due to side effects over the entire 12-week trial.
Varenicline requires a prescription. For most people, that still means scheduling a primary care appointment, waiting weeks for availability, and having a conversation that many find uncomfortable. That friction is why most people who want to quit never access varenicline.
Telehealth has changed this. You can now complete an online intake form, have a licensed physician review it asynchronously, and receive a varenicline prescription shipped directly to your door, without a single phone call or waiting room.
That's exactly what Respiro is built to do. We're a direct-to-consumer nicotine-cessation platform. $75 consultation, physician review typically within 24 hours; if prescribed, medication ships to your door. Monthly program from $150. Satisfaction guarantee: if our physician recommends against varenicline and you'd prefer not to proceed with alternatives, we'll refund the $75 consultation in full.
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