National Jewish Health Launches Vaping and Tobacco
Cessation Program to Help with Youth Vaping Epidemic
My Life, My Quit™ is the first comprehensive program designed just for teens
Denver, CO – Nearly 5 million teens across the United States are vaping and using tobacco, yet there are few resources available to help them stop. On July 1, 2019, the nation’s largest non-profit tobacco quitline provider helping thousands of people quit tobacco every year, National Jewish Health, is launching an enhanced tobacco cessation program for teens who want to stop using tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes or vapes.
The new My Life, My Quit program includes educational materials designed for teens that were created through focus groups with teens, subject matter experts and community stakeholders. Teens can text or call a toll-free number (1.855.891.9989) dedicated specifically for them, or they can visit mylifemyquit.com for real-time online 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.
“This comprehensive new program combines the best practices for youth tobacco cessation adapted to include vaping and new ways for teens to reach our quit coaches using real-time text messaging and online chat,” said Thomas Ylioja, PhD, clinical director of Health Initiatives at National Jewish Health.
“While there are similarities, the teen quit experience is very different from the adult experience. This program allows us to meet teens where they are, to communicate with them via channels they are comfortable with and to support them through their quit journey,” said Dr. Ylioja. “Our coaches emphasize that the decision to quit is personal, and they help teens identify strategies to help them cope with stress, navigate social situations, and support developing a tobacco-free identity.”
My Life, My Quit provides youth access to tailored resources for quitting, including:
National Jewish Health QuitLogix® is an evidence-based, comprehensive tobacco cessation program that provides personalized coaching, print and online resources to help people quit smoking or using tobacco products. National Jewish Health currently operates the quitline for 16 states and numerous health plans. The program has helped thousands of adults quit using tobacco and has a nearly 40 percent participant quit rate for people who receive coaching and medications, one of the highest quit rates in the country.
The My Life, My Quit youth cessation program launches July 1, 2019, with nine existing National Jewish Health QuitLogix state partners: Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
National Jewish Health is the leading respiratory hospital in the nation. Founded 120 years ago as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health today is the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to groundbreaking medical research and treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders. Patients and families come to National Jewish Health from around the world to receive cutting-edge, comprehensive, coordinated care. To learn more, visit njhealth.org. Members of the news media may visit the media resources page.
