A survey of quit vaping strategies and relapse triggers for maintaining youth and young adult vaping abstinence in Canada

Objectives: To examine whether various quit strategies and relapse triggers are associated with maintenance period in a sample of people who quit vaping.

Method: Young Canadians who used to vape (N = 772) completed an online survey on maintenance period, quit strategies, and relapse triggers. Logistic regression was employed to variables associated with maintenance period.

Results: People with past vaping history who quit unassisted or through eliminating social influences were more likely to achieve long-term maintenance. Those who quit through thinking about health improvements, distraction techniques, or self-restriction were less likely to achieve long-term maintenance. Other substance use or sensory vaping cues as relapse triggers were less likely to be experienced for those in long-term maintenance. Using very high concentrations of nicotine prior to quitting, and being unemployed were associated with lower likelihood for long-term maintenance.

Conclusions: It is important to consider quit strategies, relapse triggers, and nicotine use prior to quitting in vaping cessation programing as they are related to maintenance period.