Help Promote This is Quitting, a Text-to-Quit Vaping Program for Teens & Young Adults

Building off the success of its smartphone app to help teens and young adults quit vaping, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Commercial Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP) is partnering with Truth Initiative to promote an innovative text-to-quit vaping program, This is Quitting.

The text messages show the real side of quitting, both the good and the bad, to help young people feel motivated, inspired, and supported throughout their quitting process. Truth Initiative also sends young people evidence-based tips and strategies to quit and stay quit. The program is tailored based on age (within 13 to 24 years old) and product usage to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting. They can sign up by texting the WA-specific opt-in keyword VAPEFREEWA to 88709. Additionally, parents can text QUIT to (202) 899-7550 to receive text messages designed specifically for parents of teens and young adults who vape.

In line with the youth-driven, award-winning truth^® campaign, this program is best promoted on a peer-to-peer basis. Truth Initiative’s research demonstrates that when adults try to spread a quitting message directly to youth, it does not have the intended result — and that's especially true when it comes to vaping. Until it is safe to distribute printed promotional materials to TVPPCP regional and priority population partners, TVPPCP is asking CPWI coalitions to leverage the attached creative and below sample messages to promote the program on social media, as resources permit. Please note that, per the DOH license agreement with Truth, these materials must not be modified.

For questions or to suggest ideas for further promotion, please contact Nick Fradkin, DOH Tobacco Cessation Consultant, at nick.fradkin@doh.wa.gov or 360-236-3547. Thank you in advance for promoting This is Quitting!

SAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES

For teens and young adults:

• Quitting JUUL doesn’t have to suck. We’ve got your back with an easy, confidential (and free!) text-to-quit service. Text VAPEFREEWA to 88709.
• It’s easier to quit vaping when you have an enormous support system. We’ve got that *and* an easy-to-use, confidential text-to-quit service. Text VAPEFREEWA to 88709.
• Ready to quit JUUL? You’ve got this. And we’ve got your back. Text VAPEFREEWA to 88709 for an easy-to-use (and free) support system at your fingertips.

For adults:

• In response to the youth vaping epidemic, @truthinitiative created This is Quitting, a free text message e-cigarette quit program. Youth and young adults in Washington can access the program by texting VAPEFREEWA to 88709.
• Young e-cigarette users are 4x more likely to start smoking cigarettes than their peers who don’t vape. But quitting e-cigarettes is possible. Youth and young adults can text VAPEFREEWA to 88709 to join This is Quitting, a free text-to-quit program from @truthinitiative.
• 3 million+ young people use e-cigarettes, like JUUL, which means they’re all at risk for nicotine addiction — but there are ways to help. Youth and young adults can text VAPEFREEWA to 88709 to join This is Quitting, a free text-to-quit program from @truthinitiative.