AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ATX Therapeutics announced today the release of Aeris, a new evidence-based tobacco cessation app for U.S. adults who are ready to quit smoking and vaping. Aeris is the first and only smartphone app also designed to address "dual use", or the widespread behavior of vaping e-cigarettes in addition to smoking combustible cigarettes. The Aeris app is available as a free download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Aeris works by providing evidence-based protocols to guide tobacco users through setting up a personalized quit plan, which includes choosing a quit date, and identifying quit reasons, tobacco triggers and coping strategies. Users can track and see patterns and visual correlations between tobacco-related behaviors such as cravings, cigarettes, e-cigarettes and quit aids. Aeris is the only HIPAA-compliant app that also keeps track of all FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications, including over-the-counter NRT products (e.g. nicotine gum and patches) and prescription products (e.g. Chantix, Zyban). Studies show using FDA-approved medications can double a user's chances of quitting successfully. Additionally, Aeris informs users of their financial savings and health recovery milestones, such as when nicotine leaves the bloodstream after smoking, and delivers motivational tips and educational content throughout each stage of their quit journey. The app also provides one-tap access to live quitline counseling services provided by the National Cancer Institute at no charge.
"Smoking, shockingly, remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., killing half a million Americans every year and adding billions of dollars in annual healthcare costs. Most adult cigarette smokers want to quit, but struggle with nicotine addiction, access to care and knowing where to begin," said ATX Therapeutics CEO Adam Falat. "Aeris provides an easy-to-use tobacco cessation program that delivers evidence-based interventions directly through the smartphones already in most people's pockets. The app also supports clinical practice guidelines by making it easier to use FDA-approved medications and free quitline counseling services, which have been shown to double a person's chances of quitting successfully."
About 13.7% of U.S. adults, or 34.2 million people, smoked cigarettes in 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., causing more than 480,000 deaths per year. Smoking causes serious chronic health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While cigarette use has been declining among American adults, e-cigarette use is increasing: 3.2% of adults used e-cigarettes in 2018, up from 2.8% in 2017. Current numbers are even more troubling among American youth. In 2019, 27.5% of high school students and 10.5% of middle school students currently use e-cigarettes, up from 1.5% and 0.6% in 2011, respectively. While some evidence supports the use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, the most common usage pattern across all age groups is "dual use", i.e. current use of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. This suggests some e-cigarette use may be supplementing smoking, instead of replacing it. Like traditional cigarettes, most e-cigarette products contain nicotine, a chemical that is reportedly as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Even without nicotine, research suggests that flavorings and other ingredients in e-liquids used for vaping could be linked to serious health problems. As of October 2019, the CDC has confirmed 1,888 cases of probable lung injury and 37 deaths associated with the use of e-cigarette products.
"There is no such thing as a safe tobacco product. The most important thing tobacco users can do to improve their health and reduce their risks for chronic diseases is to quit," Falat said. "At ATX Therapeutics, we designed Aeris to put the needs of tobacco users at the center of the program and make it easier for them to change behaviors and follow clinical guidance. Everyone's journey to becoming tobacco-free is unique, and Aeris reflects that by providing a highly personalized user experience designed to produce positive outcomes."
About ATX Therapeutics
ATX Therapeutics is an Austin-based digital health company that empowers people to reach their health goals by enabling healthy behavior changes in individuals who either have, or are at risk of developing chronic diseases. The company works with healthcare consumers, providers, researchers, health plans and employers to develop evidence-based digital therapeutic products that deliver positive health outcomes while engaging patients to manage specific chronic health conditions and their associated risk behaviors.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or visit https://www.atxtherapeutics.com/.
SOURCE ATX Therapeutics
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