As Quitting Nicotine Trends on Social Media, truth® Supports Young People With Free Tools and Resources

“truth® brings together stories from young people—including creators like actor Dom Gabriel, singer Bryana Salaz, and skier Griffin Laszlo—in their journey to quit nicotine as part of new “Quit Collective”

Thousands of young people are taking to social media to share their personal stories of quitting e-cigarettes and nicotine. As a complement to this viral social trend, truth®—the national public education campaign from Truth Initiative—is providing free, proven-effective tools and resources to support those looking to quit and uplifting their stories. As tobacco use continues to be a significant public health concern among young people, social engagement and programs like those from truth ensure that no one has to face quitting alone.

As creators take to social media to document their quit journeys, truth is amplifying and elevating their stories to engage and inspire others. Dubbed the “Quit Collective,” this group of creators are all at various stages of quitting different forms of nicotine, including both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. They are also getting help from a free and anonymous text message quit program from truth which has been a resource for more than 750,000 young people nationwide on their journey to quit.

The diverse group of individuals between the ages of 21 and 30 include actor Dom Gabriel, singer Bryana Salaz, skier Griffin Laszlo, dancer Nicky Delaney, and gymnast Evan Manivong, along with Ysabelle Wallace and Rheagan Coursey. On platforms like TikTok, the posts from these creators have already garnered hundreds of thousands of organic views, high engagement rates and positive sentiment, all signaling the power in sharing personal stories as a means to create community, accountability and inspiration for others to quit. The posts are also drawing messages of support, such as these responses to a post from Ysabelle Wallace:

• “I was addicted for four years and I quit around three months ago- The journey is hard, but trust me it’s so worth it. YOU GOT THIS!!”
• “needed to see this I want to quit so bad but it’s harddddd.”
• “Thank you bae we’re so proud of you!! Thank you for this resource for your girls.”
• “honestly once u quit for like a couple months you start to realize that there’s really no point and don’t event crave it anymore”
• “today is 60 days for me. we can do this!!! our lungs will love us.”

Using the hashtag #QuitCheck, participating influencers and individuals can stay connected and provide an easy way for their followers to join them on their quitting journeys. It builds on cultural trends like #FitCheck. The aggregated posts share free quitting resources from truth, so that no one has to quit without support. Anyone quitting online can use #QuitCheck to share their own quitting stories.

The Quit Collective was created as tobacco use remains a serious public health threat among young people, with 11% of 18- to 24-year-olds vaping nicotine and 5.3% of 18- to 24-year-olds smoking cigarettes, according to the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey. Additionally, according to the CDC, 4.3% of 18- to 24-year-olds use two or more tobacco products. 

“Quitting vaping has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” said Bryana Salaz. “I wanted to use my platform and work with truth to start a conversation about my own experience using e-cigarettes and now quitting. I know that support is crucial when breaking an addiction and the quitting program from truth made me feel like I always had someone on my side. The program is easy and convenient, and the text messages kept me motivated and inspired throughout my quitting journey.”

Truth Initiative is committed to lifting up young voices and creating community for anyone looking to quit. The organization’s leading science-backed resources are designed specifically for young people. Results from a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that young adults aged 18-24 who used the quit vaping resources for young people from truth had nearly 40% higher odds of quitting compared to a control group. For free and anonymous help with quitting, teens and young adults can text “DITCHVAPE” to 88709. Additional quit resources and a full quit community are also available to online at BecomeAnEX.org.

Those interested in participating in the Quit Collective should use the hashtag #QuitCheck to join or email [email protected].