Health and Fitness : New Vaping and Tobacco Cessation Program for Teens

According to the 2018 Iowa Youth Survey, 22.4% of 11th grade students, 8.3% of eighth grade students and 2.4% of sixth grade students currently use e-cigarettes. The long-term health consequences for youth using these products are unknown. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) now offers a special program for teens who want to quit using tobacco, including e-cigarettes.

The new My Life, My Quit program includes educational materials designed for teens and created through focus groups with teens, subject matter experts and community stakeholders. Teens can text or call a toll-free number (855-891-9989) dedicated for teens, or they can visit mylifemyquit.com for real-time coaching. Through the program, teens work with a coach who listens and understands their unique needs, provides personalized support, and helps them build a quit plan to become free from nicotine.

My Life, My Quit provides youth access to tailored resources for quitting, including:

• Free and confidential help from a quit coach specially trained to listen to teens, help teens navigate social situations that involve tobacco or vaping, and find healthy ways to cope with stress
• Five coaching sessions via live text messaging or by phone on a dedicated toll-free number (855-891-9989) or online chat
• Simplified online and mobile program registration to get teens to a coach quicker
• Dedicated teen website at mylifemyquit.com with online enrollment, live chat with a coach, information about vaping and tobacco, and activities to support quitting and stress relief
• On-going text messages for encouragement throughout the quit process
• Certificate of program completion

IDPH is one of nine states collaborating with Quitline provider National Jewish Health to offer the teen-focused tobacco cessation program.