Earlier this year we piloted a vaping program at a Seattle public high school. Using the American Lung Association’s curriculum, our program, “Quit the Nic” took place at West Seattle High School offering students a program to address their nicotine use. The pressures put on young people to to vape are numerous: targeted advertising, vapes with flavors like cookies, gummy bear and mint, peer pressure, product accessibility, and new products – even vapes with video games.

What makes the tobacco and vaping services offered by Cancer Pathways different is that we are able to address the needs of students no matter how much they are vaping. Our program also has resources for teachers and parents. This collaboration improves the likelihood that a teen will quit.

Nathalie Meus, Healthy Schools Coordinator with Seattle Public Schools, tells us even though schools have seen steady decreases in the number of students trying tobacco products, there are still issues. 

“Our rates of substance use amongst our school students still causes us concern – especially amidst increasing numbers of students indicating that they would like to quit but not having the necessary skills or support for a process so difficult that even adults struggle with it.”

A Step Toward Quitting: Impact and Results

We had 12 students who enrolled in our 12 week pilot program. Out of those 12: 

• 10 completed all eight sessions. 
• Two successfully quit nicotine entirely.
• Four others managing to abstain for at least three days during the program. 

These achievements, however modest, signify meaningful steps in tackling an addiction. We surveyed the students after the program. 90% of them felt motivated to quit, with 80% saying they’d gained skills to help them reduce or quit altogether. 70% of the participants indicated they plan to quit within the next month.

Creating a Supportive, Mindful Environment

Our goal was to get as many students to quit tobacco products. We knew we had to create a supportive and collaborative environment. As time in the program passed we noticed a surprising byproduct of the peer-group setting: candid conversations and teen awareness about their vaping habits. 

A substitute social worker who joined the group noticed the benefits of the peer-group as well.

“Getting to sit in on the cessation group meetings has been beneficial in several ways. It has given me more perspective on the substance use issues facing our students… I hope [the program] will continue to expand and increase support for students who might otherwise fall through the net.”

Students mentioned that being around friends and peers who vape, particularly in high-stress environments like school, triggered their own use, which is why they intend to focus on quitting over the summer months. Others said vaping had become a “passive” habit—something they did without much thought. The weekly discussions made them more mindful of what they were doing. 

What Comes Next?

Cancer Pathways was thrilled to work with Seattle Public Schools and West Seattle High School to implement this pilot program. Now there is a model that could be expanded to support more students. As vaping products continue to evolve and continue to be marketed to teens, programs like “Quit the Nic” hold promise for creating a healthier school environment and empowering students to make informed choices about their health. 

“Implementing cessation support and other workshops is vital in our prevention and intervention efforts, and we are so thankful for amazing partners like Cancer Pathways who help us make them possible,” said Meus. 

This pilot not only helped participants gain control over their habits but also laid the groundwork for an initiative that can be rolled out into other schools and districts around the country – that could benefit a great number of students in the future.