How to quit JUUL

It’s no surprise that people are struggling to quit JUUL and are searching for help. JUUL packs a potent dose of the addictive chemical nicotine. In fact, its nicotine content is one of the highest among e-cigarettes on the market.

Before JUUL was introduced in 2015, the most popular e-cigarette products contained nicotine strengths of between roughly 1 percent and 2.4 percent. When JUUL debuted, its pods contained 5 percent nicotine strength. On top of that, the maker of JUUL claims the product delivers nicotine up to 2.7 times faster than other e-cigarettes.

Since nicotine is what makes e-cigarettes addictive, quitting e-cigarettes is similar — but not 100 percent the same — as quitting regular cigarettes or other tobacco products. While research on quitting e-cigarettes is in early stages, a lot of solid research exists on how to help people quit traditional tobacco products, and many of the best practices could apply.

It’s important to seek support when dealing with quitting nicotine. After all, we know that the “cold turkey” approach to quitting smoking — stopping abruptly with no support — rarely works because of the addictive nature of nicotine.

When Truth Initiative experts talked to young people who have tried to or successfully quit e-cigarettes, they learned a few things about the support these e-cigarette users need. Most find it more difficult than expected and quitting can be an overwhelmingly isolating experience, since there are few quitting resources specifically for e-cigarettes.

The text program from Truth Initiative is one way to get support. The program is tailored by age group to give teens and young adults appropriate recommendations about quitting, and allows them to remain anonymous. The program, which also serves as a resource for parents looking to help their children who vape, offers tips, encouragement and a sense of community.

Text program users also have the option to connect with online communities and interactive tools for added support through This is Quitting and BecomeAnEX. Developed in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, BecomeAnEX has helped more than 800,000 people on their quitting journey. Research has shown that following the BecomeAnEX quit plan quadruples a tobacco user's chance of quitting.

Quitting nicotine is hard, and often takes more than one try. If you vape after your quit date, it helps to understand why you slipped up. Were you stressed out? Hanging out with certain friends? In the car? Think back to what happened and make a plan for getting past it next time. 

Celebrating your successes along the way helps, too. Every accomplishment, including making it through a slip-up, deserves recognition. Celebrate and keep going.