Can cash rewards and a breathalyzer app help people stay sober?
NCT ID NCT07735585
First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a smartphone app called TRIS, paired with a Bluetooth breathalyzer and small daily cash rewards for verified abstinence, can help people with alcohol use disorder drink less. Participants submit three breath samples each day; those who are sober earn incentives. The study compares this approach to standard outpatient treatment alone. If it works, the app could make evidence-based sobriety support more accessible from home.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Remote contingency management delivered through a smartphone app with a Bluetooth breathalyzer and monetary incentives for verified abstinence
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this app-based approach could offer a scalable, convenient way to support sobriety for people with alcohol use disorder, potentially expanding access to evidence-based behavioral treatment.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is relatively small (130 participants) and relies on self-submitted breath samples, which may not capture all drinking episodes. The monetary incentives may not be sustainable in real-world settings, and results may not generalize beyond the Brazilian outpatient context.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
IPER Research Center
RECRUITINGSão Paulo, São Paulo, 05021-001, Brazil
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