TOBACCO USE DISORDER

This study tested whether offering small gift cards for quitting smoking helps low-income smokers stay smoke-free. 320 uninsured or Medicaid patients received either standard care (counseling and medication) or standard care plus financial rewards for verified abstinence. The mai…

This study tested whether giving rewards like gift cards can help Native American women quit smoking and lose weight. 125 women who smoked daily and were overweight or obese took part. They earned prizes for staying smoke-free and losing a half to one pound per week. The goal was…

This study tested three different ways to help people living with HIV stop smoking. Over 670 patients from 13 HIV clinics in Hanoi took part. Nurses either referred patients to a quitline, provided counseling, or offered counseling plus nicotine gum. The goal was to see which met…

This study tested a mobile phone-based wellness program (WISH) to help veterans with HIV quit smoking. 234 participants were split into two groups: one received the WISH program, the other got standard care (quitline and text support). The goal was to see if the wellness program …

This study tested whether giving pregnant smokers cigarettes with very low nicotine (0.4 mg per gram of tobacco) helps them smoke less over 12 weeks. Thirty women were randomly assigned to either their usual brand or the low-nicotine cigarettes. The main goal was to see if they s…

This study tested whether offering financial incentives through a smartphone app could help pregnant women stop smoking. 150 women who smoked were randomly assigned to either earn rewards for submitting breath and saliva tests showing no smoking, or to receive standard care. The …

This completed phase 4 pilot trial tested whether varenicline (Chantix) works better than nicotine patches and lozenges for helping smokers quit. Over 600 smokers who smoked at least 5 cigarettes daily took part. The study measured how many people stayed smoke-free for 7 days, ve…

This study tested whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an over-the-counter supplement, can help people who use both tobacco and cannabis quit both substances. Fifty-nine regular smokers who also used cannabis took either NAC or a placebo for 8 weeks. Researchers tracked how often they…

This study tested a simple, low-cost program to help adults stop using tobacco in busy community health centers in Mumbai, India. Nearly 4,700 participants received either brief advice from trained health workers or usual care. The program used a mobile app and WhatsApp to suppor…

This study tested whether a smartphone app designed for people with serious mental illness can help them quit smoking better than standard methods. Researchers enrolled 343 adults with conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia who wanted to quit. Participants used either …

QuitBet is a digital social game that helps people stop smoking by letting them bet $30 of their own money. Players submit daily breath tests to prove they haven't smoked. Those who succeed split the pot of money from those who fail. This study tested QuitBet in 245 adults who sm…

This study looked at whether smokers who quickly respond to nicotine alternatives (like patches, e-cigarettes, or pouches) can keep smoking less or stop entirely for 6 months. 150 healthy adult smokers who reduced their smoking by at least half within 2 weeks were followed. The g…

This study tested different ways to help people living with HIV quit smoking. Participants received nicotine replacement therapy (like patches or gum), the medications varenicline or bupropion, and financial rewards for staying smoke-free. The goal was to see if these approaches …

This study tested a program to help people with mental illness quit smoking. The program included brief advice from their mental health provider and phone calls offering support. Researchers enrolled 94 daily smokers from community mental health centers and measured how many quit…

This study tested a personalized approach to help people quit smoking by matching medication to their nicotine metabolism. 606 adults on Medicaid or Medicare who smoked daily took part. The goal was to see if tailoring treatment improves quit rates.

This study tested a computer program called C-Raven that uses an interactive avatar to help people quit smoking. Participants used an iPad for two 20-minute sessions and could get nicotine replacement therapy and support from a community health worker. The study was small (18 peo…

This study tested a treatment called CPT-SMART that combines PTSD therapy, smoking cessation counseling, medication, and financial incentives to help veterans quit smoking. 120 veteran smokers with PTSD were randomly assigned to either the full program or a control group. The goa…

This study tested whether a special group therapy program called Positively Smoke Free helps people living with HIV quit smoking better than standard care. 450 HIV-positive smokers who wanted to quit took part. The main goal was to see if more people stayed smoke-free for 6 month…

This study looked at whether omega-3 supplements (fish oil) could help pregnant women who smoke have healthier pregnancies and possibly smoke less. About 237 pregnant smokers took either omega-3 pills or a placebo. The goal was to see if the supplements could reduce preterm labor…

This pilot study tested a smartphone app called SiS-H, designed to help people with HIV quit smoking. 66 participants were randomly assigned to use either SiS-H or a standard quit guide app. The study measured how often people used the app and how acceptable it was, rather than d…

This study tested whether a chatbot providing instant messaging support via WhatsApp could help adult smokers in Hong Kong quit. Over 1,000 participants received either brief advice plus chatbot support or brief advice alone. The goal was to see if the chatbot led to higher quit …

This study tested a new type of counseling called behavioral activation problem solving (BAPS) against standard smoking cessation counseling for people with HIV in Botswana. 651 participants were split into two groups to see which approach helped more people quit smoking. The goa…

This study tested whether a smartphone app could help people with PTSD quit smoking and avoid starting again. Participants received counseling, stop-smoking medications, and rewards for not smoking, plus the app. The goal was to see if the app made it easier to stay smoke-free co…

This study tested a video-based program to help university students quit smoking. Participants recorded short videos about their reasons for quitting and received feedback from researchers. The goal was to see if this approach could reduce nicotine dependence and increase motivat…

This study tested whether cytisine, a plant-based medication, is safe and helpful for quitting smoking in people who also have alcohol use disorder. Twenty adults who smoked daily and wanted to quit took part. The main goal was to see if the drug was well-tolerated and if partici…

This study tested whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can help smokers quit by reducing cravings and preventing relapse. 88 adults who had failed previous quit attempts received daily TMS sessions for a week, followed by maintenance sessions. The goal was to see if th…

This study tested whether adding virtual reality (VR) to standard smoking cessation treatment helps people quit. 74 smokers who wanted to stop received nicotine patches and either usual counseling or VR-enhanced therapy. The goal was to see if VR could reduce cravings and improve…

This study tested whether inhaling lemongrass (as a vapor or from an inhaler) could reduce nicotine dependence and improve health markers in 200 adult smokers aged 18–30. Participants used lemongrass products or nothing (control) and provided blood samples and questionnaires. The…

This study tested if chewing gum can help people smoke less or quit. 80 adults in Hong Kong who wanted to quit or cut down either used chewing gum or tried to quit on their own for one week. Researchers measured how much they smoked and checked their saliva to confirm if they had…

This study tested whether a chatbot could help young smokers (up to age 25) quit tobacco. Over 150 participants used the chatbot as part of a youth quitline program. Researchers checked how many joined, stayed, and found it useful, and measured quit rates with saliva tests. The g…

This study tested a smartphone app that uses augmented reality to help reduce cravings to smoke. 14 adults who recently quit smoking tried the app and rated how easy it was to use and how much they liked it. The goal was to see if the app could be a helpful tool for quitting smok…

This study tested whether a type of brain stimulation called theta burst stimulation (TBS) could reduce cravings and attention to drug-related cues in 23 people with both opioid and tobacco use disorders. Participants received four sessions of real or fake TBS in one day while th…

This study tested a smartphone app called OKquit to help smokers quit. About 500 adults who wanted to stop smoking were split into two groups: one got standard helpline support plus daily check-ins, and the other got that plus the OKquit app. The goal was to see if the app helped…

This study tested whether suvorexant, a sleep aid, could help smokers manage cravings, withdrawal, and stress that often lead to relapse. Fourteen non-treatment-seeking smokers took the drug or a placebo and were monitored for stress reactions, smoking urges, and sleep quality. T…

This study tested a mobile app called CoQuit that uses cognitive dissonance—the mental discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs—to motivate smokers to quit. 72 adult daily smokers used the app for 25 days, completing activities like writing a letter to a young person about smoki…

This study explored whether experiencing subtle racial slights (microaggressions) makes Latinx smokers want to smoke more or makes it harder to quit. Thirty daily smokers who identified as Hispanic or Latino took part. Researchers measured their smoking behavior, withdrawal sympt…

This study looked at how a specific way of thinking, called high-level construal (focusing on the big picture), affects smoking habits. Researchers studied 300 low-income adults aged 25-55 who wanted to quit but had failed before. They used brain scans and surveys to see if this …

This study looked at how smoking affects a brain chemical called glutamate in men versus women. Researchers scanned the brains of 58 smokers after not smoking overnight and after their first cigarette of the day. They also measured hormone levels in women to see if hormones influ…

This study looked at whether little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) are addictive, especially when flavored like fruit, and if addiction differs between men and women. Researchers studied 65 young adults aged 18-34 who smoke both LCCs and cigarettes. They measured how much people wo…

This study tested whether a genetic biomarker called the Nicotine Metabolite Ratio (NMR) can help doctors choose the best FDA-approved smoking cessation medication for each person. 82 daily smokers were assigned to varenicline, bupropion, or nicotine patches based on their NMR re…

This study looked at whether sending text messages to smokers could get them to sign up for free quitline services. Over 4,000 patients from a large health system were sent texts offering either free counseling or free nicotine patches. The goal was to see which offer led more pe…

This study tested how limiting flavors in cigarettes and e-cigarettes changes what people choose to buy. 302 adult smokers completed a single online session where they made purchases in a simulated tobacco marketplace. Researchers measured how much of their budget they spent on c…

This study looked at whether flavored filtered cigars are more addictive than unflavored ones in young adults (ages 21-34) who smoke both cigarettes and cigars. Participants used flavored cigars for one week and unflavored for another, then reported their cravings and smoking hab…