'You Got This Day' Aims to Engage and Encourage New Year's Quitters Who Relapse
Flipping the script on 'Quitter's Day,' Truth Initiative spotlights free, evidence-based support as new data show strong desire to break free from nicotine in 2026
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On Jan. 9, 2026, Truth Initiative aims to encourage and inspire anyone who relapsed after quitting nicotine as a New Year's resolution by bringing back "You Got This Day," a national moment dedicated to recommitting to their goals with proven support. Falling on the second Friday of the new year—often labeled "Quitter's Day," when many resolutions begin to fade—Truth Initiative is reframing the day with encouragement, motivation, and access to EX Program, the organization's free, evidence-based quit program developed with Mayo Clinic.
Young People Want to Quit in 2026 and Need Support
Quitting nicotine is challenging, and the average smoker makes 11 quit attempts before quitting for good. According to the most recent available data, among current e-cigarette users ages 15-36, over a third reported a past-year quit attempt. Too often, people try to quit without a plan or support, a strategy that rarely works. Only 3–5% of people who try to quit "cold turkey" remain smoke-free for six months, while counseling and medication can more than triple the chances of success of quitting for good.
New Truth Initiative data reveal a powerful desire among young adults to break free from nicotine in 2026. More than two-thirds of nicotine users ages 18–24 say they plan to quit for the New Year. Their top motivations: improvements to mental and physical health. However, millions of young people remain trapped in a cycle of nicotine dependence.
Despite recent progress in reducing youth nicotine vaping, for example, the 2025 Monitoring the Future Survey indicates that use has remained flat with 5.1% of eighth graders, 10% of 10th graders, and 15.7% of 12th graders reporting use in the past 30 days. Additionally, past 30-day use of any nicotine product among 12th graders, increased from 17% in 2024 to nearly 22%. Among young adults ages 18–24—the often dubbed the "JUUL generation"—nicotine use remains widespread, with e-cigarettes most common in this age group. Dual and polyuse of tobacco and nicotine products has also increased among young people ages 15–24, potentially increasing health risks. Additionally, while oral nicotine pouch use remains stable among youth, trends in use over the past several years show a rapidly changing landscape which provides a new avenue for potential nicotine addiction.
"Quitting nicotine is hard, but no one has to do it alone. As we enter 2026, young people are telling us they want to quit — but they need support that meets them where they are," said Kathy Crosby, CEO and President of Truth Initiative. "Young people have traditionally been left out of the tobacco cessation conversation, and many aren't aware of the resources available to them. By making quitting easier and more accessible to them, we're increasing their opportunities for success in breaking free from nicotine addiction."
Stronger, Cheaper Nicotine Products Are Fueling Dependence
Today's nicotine products are more addictive, delivering higher nicotine concentrations, more puffs per device, and nicotine salt formulations that deepen dependence—often at a lower cost and with easy access. Truth Initiative research shows that between 2017 and 2022, disposable e-cigarettes nearly tripled in nicotine strength, quintupled in e-liquid capacity, and dropped in price by nearly 70%. Many of these products are sold in youth-appealing flavors such as Blueberry Ice, Watermelon Chill, and Berry Melon. The vast majority lack authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making their presence on the market illegal.
Nearly one in five young adults ages 18–24 is now at risk of long-term nicotine addiction, and signs of dependence are intensifying among youth. Recent research shows the share of daily middle and high school vapers who tried to quit but were unable to grew from around 28% to 53% between 2020 and 2024. At the same time, Truth Initiative data indicate that 76% of teens who vape use their device within 30 minutes of waking, a key sign of growing nicotine dependence.
Young adults make more quit attempts than any other age group, yet they are the least likely to use evidence-based quit treatments. Taking that and these data together underscores the urgent need for free, accessible, and proven quitting interventions like EX Program, as well as the importance of ensuring young people know how to access them.
Creators Join the Movement to Quit
Young people are driving a powerful movement to quit nicotine online, with millions taking to social media to publicly document their quit journeys to #QuitNic. Leaning into this Gen Z social movement, Truth Initiative's Quit Collective pulls together influencers and creators who are acting on this trend. These creators including, including Isabelle "Izzy" Graff and Andy Koh, provide honest, relatable experiences that help normalize quitting nicotine and remind young people they are not alone. Since the Collective launched, its members have helped enroll nearly 2,000 young people each week into EX Program.
Further amplifying young people's voices online, three Gen Z creators developed a new Snapchat AR lens, "30 Day Challenge," to help their peers in quitting. Launched on January 2, the lens challenges young people looking to quit to see if they can make it one more day without using nicotine products through progress tracking and social accountability, while integrating supportive messages from EX Program. Developed through Snap Academies — a nine-week immersive program for community college students and opportunity youth exploring AR, design, and engineering — the lens reflects the creators' own personal challenges with nicotine use and their commitment to making quitting easier for others.
These creator-led efforts are helping to make quitting nicotine a shared, communal wellness act—not a private health struggle. "You Got This Day" builds on that momentum by connecting young people with proven tools like EX Program to help turn motivation into action.
Free, Proven Quit Support for 'You Got This Day' and Beyond
As part of "You Got This Day," Truth Initiative is spotlighting free, evidence-based resources designed to help young people stay committed to quitting nicotine throughout the year.
EX Program, developed by Truth Initiative in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, offers personalized quit plans, interactive text messaging, and peer community support. It is the first digital quit program proven effective in randomized clinical trials for nicotine vaping cessation among adolescents and young adults, increasing participants' odds of quitting by up to 40% compared to a control group.
Young people make up the majority of those seeking support through EX Program. On average, more than 60% of enrollees are ages 13–24. Among those young people who joined in the past year, 93% enrolled to quit vaping, 5% to quit smoking, and 2% to quit other nicotine products.
EX Program is further supported by Truth Initiative's Outsmart Nicotine campaign, which helps young people understand addiction, manage nicotine cravings, and celebrate the everyday wins that add up to quitting for good. Launched in 2024, Outsmart Nicotine introduces young people to EX Program through a series of relatable ads that meet them where they are—highlighting small, achievable victories on the path to quitting. The campaign reinforces the message behind "You Got This Day," quitting doesn't require perfection, just support and persistence.
Anyone ready to take the next step in their quit journey on "You Got This Day" and every day after can visit exprogram.com or text EXPROGRAM to 88709 for free, proven support.
About Truth Initiative
Truth Initiative® is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading cessation intervention, EX® Program, and national public education campaigns, we lead the fight against youth and young adult tobacco use. Learn more at truthinitiative.org.
About EX Program
EX® Program is a proven-effective tobacco cessation program, developed by Truth Initiative® with Mayo Clinic, that brings together the best evidence-based quitting approaches, interactive digital quitting programs, and the most established online quit community. EX Program has helped millions of youth and adults develop the skills and confidence to successfully quit. Truth Initiative research has shown that EX Program text messages can increase a user's odds of quitting by up to 40%. To learn more, visit exprogram.com.
SOURCE Truth Initiative
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