Social Media Support Groups for Adolescent Vaping Cessation

NCT07540780 — Not applicable, Recruiting, 60 participants, University of California, San Francisco

ClinicalTrials Daily · Areas · Conditions · Drugs · Sponsors ·

Registry	NCT07540780
Status	Recruiting
Phase	Not applicable
Study type	Interventional; na, single group, masking: none, treatment
Enrollment	60 (Estimated)
Sponsor	University of California, San Francisco (Other); collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI), Rescue Agency, HopeLab Foundation
Conditions	Vaping, Vaping Cessation, Nicotine Dependence
Interventions	Social Media Intervention (Behavioral)
Dates	start 2026-04-15, primary completion 2026-09-30 (estimated), completion 2026-10-31 (estimated), first posted 2026-04-20, last updated 2026-07-17
Locations	1 site in United States

-Summary

The purpose of this study is to pilot test feasibility and acceptability of the Quit the Hit Toolkit, a social media-based nicotine vaping cessation program for adolescents and young adults, adapted for use in community settings.

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+Detailed description

This is a single-arm pilot study testing training materials for the Quit the Hit Toolkit. Community-based coaches will be recruited then receive training on the intervention, then they will recruit and lead 5-week vaping cessation groups online.

+Arms and interventions

Arm	Type	Interventions	Description
Vaping Intervention	Experimental	Behavioral: Social Media Intervention	Individuals will receive training on how to implement the vaping intervention (Quit the Hit Toolkit) in their own community settings. These individuals will serve as coaches and will recruit and facilitate vaping support groups on Instagram, where group participants will receive up to 3 Instagram posts per day for 30 days. Group coaches will work with a Cessation Counselor, Principal Investigator, Co-Investigators and a Pediatrician on demand if additional expertise or clinical advice is needed. Group participants will be educated about signs of nicotine dependence and if they express interest in pharmacotherapy will be encouraged to access this through their personal healthcare providers. The Instagram groups will provide educational and social support, troubleshooting and advice about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or other forms of treatment. Groups will also include trained peer mentors to provide additional support.

Social Media Intervention (Behavioral): Social media based intervention using Instagram with up to 3 posts per day for 30 days

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

Number of coaches who complete training and coach a vaping cessation group for 5 weeks [5 weeks]: Participants will be trained to serve as group coaches, implementing the intervention ("Quit the Hit Toolkit") to help teens and young adults stop vaping. Coaches will complete training and each will recruit approximately 10 participants for a vaping cessation group for 5 weeks. Investigators will track the number of coaches who successfully complete both training, recruit participants, and coach the groups for 5 weeks.

Secondary outcomes

Number of participants recruited and enrolled in the pilot study [From time that coaches complete training to pilot group kickoff not greater than 4 weeks]: Coaches will work through their networks to recruit approximately 10 participants age 13-21 to participate in vaping cessation groups. The number of participants who qualify for the study on the study website, and the number who enroll in the study will be tracked.
Number of participants who complete vaping cessation group over 5 weeks [From start of cessation groups to end of the intervention over 5 weeks.]: The number of participants who remain in the vaping cessation groups and like, post, or otherwise respond to the intervention posts or texts over 5 weeks, and who complete the survey at the end of the intervention will be tracked.
Acceptability of training protocol and intervention procedures to coaches and participants measured by qualitative interviews [Following the end of pilot groups over about 2 weeks]: All coaches, peer mentors, and participants in the pilot intervention will be invited to participate in interviews or focus groups. Study investigators will solicit feedback on acceptability of the study procedures, training, recruitment, intervention experience, payment systems, and other engagement procedures.

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 13 Years to any, accepts healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

1. English literacy
2. Age between 13-21 years (group participants) or 18+ (coaches, peer mentors)
3. Indicate they use social media "most" (>= 4) days per week (group participants)
4. Have vaped at least once per week in the past 30 days (90 percent of participants) (group participants)
5. Access to a computer or mobile phone with photo capability to verify abstinence from vaping (group participants)
6. Indicate they are considering quitting or are interested in quitting with the next 6 months or within the next 30 days (group participants)
7. Currently reside in California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, or South Carolina

Exclusion Criteria:

1. No English literacy
2. Age under 13 or over 21 (group participants) or under 18 (coaches, peer mentors)
3. Insufficient social media use (3 or fewer days per week) (group participants)
4. Have not vaped at least once per week in past 30 days (group participants)
5. No access to computer or mobile phone with photo capability to verify abstinence from vaping (group participants)
6. Not considering or interested in quitting vaping in the next 30 days or 6 months (group participants)
7. Not a resident of California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, or South Carolina

+Locations (1)

Facility	City	Country	Status
University of California, San Francisco	San Francisco, California	United States	Recruiting

+Publications

Lyu JC, Olson SS, Ramo DE, Ling PM. Delivering vaping cessation interventions to adolescents and young adults on Instagram: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health. 2022 Dec 10;22(1):2311. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14606-7. PMID 36496358
Ling PM, Lyu JC, Lisha NE, Nguyen N, Gribben V, Ramo DE. Social Media Support Groups for Youth Nicotine Vaping Cessation: An RCT. Am J Prev Med. 2026 Aug;71(2):108314. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2026.108314. Epub 2026 Feb 20. PMID 41724253

+Investigators

Pamela M Ling, MD, MPH, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco

+Funding

NIH grants: R01CA292971