EX Program by Truth Initiative leans into digital health boom to increase access for tobacco users, leading to record growth

Backed by Truth Initiative, the EX^® Program quit smoking tools are now available to 9.7 million individuals

The EX Program from Truth Initiative^®, the national public health organization inspiring lives free from smoking, vaping and nicotine, broke important new ground in 2021, with sharp increases in both new clients and enhancements to its enterprise tobacco cessation solution for adults. The digital health program for tobacco addiction is now helping more than 9.7 million adults around the nation, including through Medicaid plans in Nevada, Iowa, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The EX Program grew its member base in 2021 by almost 30% due in large part to the addition of 25 new clients and the shift in demand for interactive quit-smoking tools and strategies to help individuals break free from tobacco addiction.

In 2021, tobacco sales increased among adults and nationwide people made fewer calls to telephone quitlines. While most tobacco users want to quit, they often lack easy access to the support that they need. Each year, nearly 70% of adult smokers in the U.S. and nearly two-thirds (62%) of e-cigarette users say they want to quit. The need for mental health support has also risen during the pandemic, with about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from 1 in 10 adults who reported these symptoms from January to June 2019. There are troubling connections between nicotine use and mental health symptoms, including the fact that nicotine dependence can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression, making cessation resources a key component in mental health support.

In 2021, the EX Program expanded its offering to be fully available in Spanish and to include an 8-week supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). It also added a real-time dashboard for clients to view valuable benchmark data tracking enrollment numbers, participant engagement, and more.

Through a recent partnership between Ohio’s Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) and the EX Program, local residents looking to quit were able to get the help they needed. One EX Program participant said, “I heard about this online and I needed patches to quit. I’m just a struggling single mother so it’s hard to afford to buy patches. This is so great I could cry with joy, thank you!”

"We are extremely pleased with the growth of the EX Program,” said Dr. Amanda Graham, chief of innovations at Truth Initiative. "Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, our greatest attribute over the past couple of years has been the ability to focus on what really matters, which is helping tobacco users overcome addiction. We look forward to helping even more organizations bring evidence-based digital tools and human support to more people looking to quit for good.”

Developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, the EX Program is an enterprise-level, digital health program for tobacco addiction for employers and health plans. The EX Program grew out of Truth Initiative's field-leading research and long history of building engaging digital interventions. To date, more than 910,000 participants have enrolled in EX, developing the skills and confidence that are critical for quitting tobacco successfully. Research has shown that individuals who use all components of the EX quit plan are four times more likely to quit than others.

For more information on the EX Program, please visit theexprogram.com. For more information about Truth Initiative, please visit truthinitiative.org.