International best practice in the cessation of vaping and non-combustible nicotine use, and barriers, facilitators and treatment preferences: A rapid review

Introduction: Increasing use of e-cigarettes and forms of non-combustible nicotine consumption, especially among children and young people who do not smoke, is an emerging challenge for traditional services oriented to stop smoking care. However, as services struggle to manage these newer presentations, there is a paucity of guidance for supporting cessation. This rapid review sought to evaluate the extent to which interventions for the cessation of vaping and non-combustible nicotine products align with best practice, and to understand what barriers, facilitators and user-reported preferences for service features have been reported. Methods: A systematic search of four electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycEXTRA, and Scopus) was conducted on 18 November 2025 to search for vaping and non-combustible nicotine cessation interventions published since 2003. The included interventions were evaluated using a framework to assess the extent to which they aligned with best practice in public health. Information regarding barriers and facilitators to implementation, as well as user-reported preferences for intervention delivery, were extracted and synthesized in a narrative synthesis. Results: Findings from 23 studies (n=10373) revealed that alignment with best practice was highest in the areas of relevance (16/23), replicability (14/23) and effectiveness (12/23). Alignment was poorest in the areas of stakeholder collaboration (3/23) and sustainability (3/23). Interventions which prioritized accessibility, flexibility, and autonomy were noted by authors as facilitators to implementation. Participants demonstrated a preference for digital, low-burden interventions with social support. Conclusions: This rapid review identified opportunities to more effectively embed best practice principles in intervention design and delivery. The findings of this review can be used to inform the development of services which aim to reduce the impact of nicotine addiction fueled by vaping and non-combustible nicotine product use.