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Fog and restart: could poetic metaphors break the smoking habit?

NCT ID NCT07803354

Disease control Sponsor: Beijing Normal University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 03, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

Researchers at Beijing Normal University are testing whether a 100-day smoking cessation program delivered through WeChat can help people quit. The program uses metaphors like 'fog' and 'restart' to describe smoking urges and behavior change, and includes staged messages, personalized feedback, and a journey map. The trial enrolls 200 adults who smoke daily and live in Zhuhai. The main goal is to see if more participants achieve a biochemically confirmed quit at 6 months compared to a control group.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
A 100-day, WeChat-delivered smoking cessation program using metaphors like 'fog' and 'restart' to describe urges and behavior change, with staged messages, personalized feedback, and a journey map.
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a scalable, low-cost digital tool to help more people quit smoking and stay smoke-free.
What could go wrong
This is a single trial with 200 participants, and success depends on whether metaphor-based messaging truly changes behavior. Quitting smoking is hard, and relapse rates are high.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 200 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. aged 18 and above, reside in Zhuhai for the next 6 months; 2. smoke at least 1 cigarette or use e-cigarettes daily; 3. Having a smartphone and a WeChat account, being able to use WeChat skillfully. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Smokers who have communication barrier (either physically or cognitively); 2. Smokers who are currently participating in other SC programmes or services

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Smoking Cessation Tobacco Use

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Mobile health Smoking cessation

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Beijing Normal University

    Zhuhai, Guangdong, 519087, China

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