Guidelines to assist vapers who want to quit vaping were released last week by the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The guidelines are designed for health professionals to support adults and youth from age 15 years. They include behavioural therapies and medication and are based on approaches to stop smoking.
The following material was published by Dr Colin Mendelsohn, an Australian medical doctor, smoking cessation expert and researcher at the University of New South Wales, on 29 March 2022. He is a member of the Smoking Cessation Guideline Expert Advisory Group that develops the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) smoking cessation guidelines.
The ‘how to stop vaping’ guidelines have been developed from the limited research evidence available and the opinions of a group of experts in the field, Dr Mendelsohn writes. I am proud to have been on the expert committee which developed these guidelines. They were commissioned by Ministry of Health of Ontario.
A range of assessment tools is provided that can be used to measure how dependent (addicted) you are to vaping.
Some practical advice
- Weaning is recommended. The suggested treatment duration is a minimum of eight to 12 weeks but some people may require longer.
- Strategies that may be useful include seeing a health care provider for one-on-one counselling, using an app, a web-based programme or a text messaging programme and calling a helpline for cessation support.
- There is no evidence so far for using medications to help people quit vaping. However, standard stop-smoking medicines could be tried if you are willing.
Not everyone can quit, especially people with mental illness or substance use disorders. The guidelines recommend that health professionals provide ongoing support for vaping in these cases. Longer-term support may be required due to the higher risk of relapse. Continuing to vape is far safer than relapsing to smoking.
Other issues raised
- It is always best to stop vaping if you can.
- People who are dual using (smoking and vaping) should switch to vaping-only if possible.
- If you have mental illness and/or substance use issues you may require more frequent counselling and the addition of peer support (people with lived experience) to adhere to treatment plans.
- If you can’t quit vaping, it is wise to try to minimise your ongoing risk eg quality products, low power devices, smaller clouds.
Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
The CAMH team at the Nicotine Dependence Service is leading a range of projects on vaping and e-cigarette use, including the development of resources that both clients and healthcare practitioners can use to help guide their decision-making.
Vaping cessation guidance resource
Are you a healthcare provider looking for guidance supporting your clients who want to quit vaping? The Vaping Cessation Guidance Resource and accompanying List of Assessment Tools have been developed to help healthcare providers support their clients (adults and youth) who want to quit vaping.
There are links to the resources below.
CAMH – E-cigarettes and vaping page (Open access)
CAMH – Vaping Cessation Guidance Resource (Open access)
CAMH – List of Assessment Tools (Open access)
See also from the MedicalBrief archives
New vaping rules and taxes planned for South Africa
Daily vaping dramatically ups quit rate in heavy smokers – FDA, NIH
Vaping – Time for doctors to get on board