The Cecil County Health Department works with several partners to offer youth tobacco cessation services to help Cecil County youth quit using tobacco/vapes. Services include linking youth to easy-to-access one-to-one online support and helping schools/organizations adopt multi-session programs in a classroom-type setting or assembly-like fashion.

The Cecil County Health Department has an ongoing partnership with Caron Treatment Centers to provide a science-based program entitled Project Connect. The program is an eight-week session, school-based youth cessation program that offers tobacco/vape cessation to students who self-identify or students identified by school staff/parents as using tobacco. This program also helps students change their relationship with cannabis, as well.  Caron Treatment Centers staff come to your school or organization to work with the youth on the stages of change by helping them to make healthy decisions, identify a support network, develop refusal skills, and employ strategies to quit using.  

Programs can be offered in a classroom or group or as an assembly-type presentation.  Caron Treatment Centers also has a Role Models for Change Program that trains youth to conduct peer-to-peer education about tobacco and cannabis use prevention. There are some services/programs to help and involve parents in the prevention/cessation process.  

To learn more about the program, here 

The Youth Cessation Program provides free telephone-based counseling services, an anonymous, non-judgmental service designed to help youth ages 13 to 17 to quit using tobacco. The Quitline is available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Youth in Maryland can enroll for free by calling the Quitline at 1-800-784-8669.

The Youth Tobacco Use Cessation Program features:  Five counseling calls provided weekly for youth who are ready to quit – scheduled at times convenient for the caller.  Personalized counseling delivered by highly skilled Youth Quit Coaches®.  Motivational interviewing techniques are used to determine the caller’s readiness to quit and, when appropriate, encourage teens to set a quit date.  Comprehensive self‐paced educational materials are mailed directly to the caller’s home if desired.  Discuss triggers, stressors, peer influences, and exposure to second-hand smoke.  Click on this link to learn more: The Maryland Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW or SmokingStopsHere.com)

Tobacco Cessation Aids

Tobacco cessation medications are not FDA-approved for youth, so families and/or youth are referred to their physician for further discussion. 

Schools or organizations providing services to youth in Cecil County are eligible for tobacco cessation classes in their facilities.  

The Vape Experiment/ This is Quitting is tailored for Maryland youth from age 13 to 24 years old.

Maryland Tobacco Quitline’s youth cessation program is for youth 13-17 who are Maryland residents.

Contact Health Promotion at 410-996-5168 and Jennifer Padgett at jennifer.[email protected]  to schedule a meeting to discuss adopting cessation programs in your school or organization.

Text “Vape Free” to 873-373 to access The Vape Experiment/ This is Quitting. 

Youth in Maryland can enroll for FREE by calling the Quitline at 1-800-784-8669.

If you have any other questions regarding tobacco cessation services, please contact the Division of Health Promotion at (410) 996-5168.