A new study shows that youth and young adults who reported using vapor products are more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than individuals who have never used them. Vapor product use among youth in Spokane County significantly increased between 2016 and 2018. The association of vapor product use and COVID-19, along with higher rates of use are increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19 in our communities.

Quitting vaping is a positive step toward improving one's overall health. If you or a loved one want to quit, you don’t have to do it alone. Washington State has several free resources available to help.

This is Quitting (TiQ) is a text-to-quit vaping program designed with input from teens and young adults. More than half of the 160,000 users since January 2019 have reported they reduced or stopped using e-cigarettes after two weeks. Joining is as easy as texting VAPEFREEWA to 88709.

You can also sign up for a Quit Coach through the Washington State Tobacco Quitline. The quit line provides free telephone counseling and most callers will be eligible for free nicotine patches or other cessation medications. For pregnancy, language or veteran specific quit lines visit the Department of Health’s Quitline page.

With schools starting, cold and flu season here, and the potential for COVID-19 cases to increase, it’s time to do everything we can for our health. Mask up, physically distance, and spread the word that there’s help to quit vaping.