Counseling for tobacco cessation (youth and young adults)
It’s important to provide all youth and young adults behavioral supports for tobacco cessation. Ideally, you will connect the patient directly to the support(s) during the clinical visit using their smartphone or connect them directly to support(s) using an eReferral system.
In some cases, youth will require Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or nonnicotine medications. Before determining appropriate cessation support, you may want to screen your patient to determine their level of dependency using 1 of the following screening tools:
Behavioral supports for youth and young adults
Behavioral supports include
- A plan to quit
- Strategies to deal with cravings and triggers
- Health coping strategies for stress and anxiety
- Support throughout the quit process
Specific behavioral interventions include telephone quit lines, text-message support, web-based interventions, smartphone apps, and in-person counseling (individual or group). Note that the This is Quitting program is the first proven cessation text-to-quit program for youth.
For more information on tobacco cessation support for youth and young adults, see the AAP site Behavioral Cessation Supports for Youth and Young Adults (aap.org).
NRT and nonnicotine medications
Certain youth and young adults will also require Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or nonnicotine medications. NRT helps to relieve withdrawal symptoms by providing a controlled amount of nicotine. Nonnicotine medications can also help relieve withdrawal symptoms.
For more information on NRT for youth and young adults, refer to the following AAP download: NRT_and_Adolescents_Pediatrician_Guidance_factsheet.pdf (aap.org)