Live Vape Free program helps teens rise above the clouds

                                                                                                    Teens text VAPEFREE to 873373 to register for teen vaping cessation program

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) announces the launch of Live Vape Free, a new program offering teens free tools and resources by text message to help them quit the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette, nicotine and vaping). 

“Recent research by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that much of the progress made in nearly two decades of getting kids to quit smoking may be eroding, as so many teens are trying, but failing to quit vaping nicotine.” said Acting Department of Health Secretary, David R. Scrase, M.D. “This program will be a valuable tool to assist our young people in quitting e-cigarettes and it will provide educational tools for parents, guardians, and teachers.”

 Traditional cigarette smoking is at an all-time low among New Mexico high school youth at nine percent, but according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 1 in 3 New Mexico high school youth are currently vaping. 

“Vaping is just another way to hook people on nicotine, which is particularly dangerous for growing minds and bodies,” Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus said. “We’ve made tremendous inroads in youth smoking; now we have to tackle youth vaping with as much vigor. We are eager to work with the Department of Health to help spread word about the dangers of vaping through this new program.”

Recent successes to address this issue include raising the age for the sale of all tobacco and vaping products to age 21, through a bill signed into law in 2020 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham  ( SB131). The law also requires tobacco retailers to have a license to sell tobacco and vaping products. 

Live Vape Free is a national text-based program capable of providing teens (ages 13 to 17) with one-on-one coaching, live text support, and interactive content to help them quit e-cigarettes. Live Vape Free is designed to help teens find their "why" when quitting by

• Educating teens on the keys to quitting nicotine.
• Boosting overall confidence among teens looking to quit.
• Motivating and inspiring users to learn more about the implications to their long-term health by getting and staying nicotine-free. 

New Mexico is one of only five states to launch both the youth and adult components of the program, out of the just 13 states using the Live Vape Free program. 

To register, all teens have to do is text VAPEFREE to 873373.  Adults will need to register online at LiveVapeFreeNM.com. 

For the adults in teens' lives, such as parents, guardians, and teachers to do their part to encourage and educate teens on the importance for their health to quit e-cigarettes. Live Vape Free provides self-paced online courses, one-on-one coaching support and downloadable toolkits so they can learn about teen e-cigarette use and give them the tools needed to turn themselves from concerned adults into quit champions.

In addition to helping teens, New Mexico adults ages 18 and older looking to quit any form of nicotine can continue to do so through the NMDOH’s 1-800-QUIT-NOW program. Find free and proven-effective tools at www.quitnownm.com.

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