NCT05513872

Brief Summary

Tobacco use disorder is a chronic, relapsing health condition that necessitates a chronic care approach. However, traditional smoking cessation treatment programs allocate nearly all their resources only to those smokers who are willing to set a quit date. This is problematic because few smokers are ready to set a quit date at any given time, and a smoker's stated intention to quit can change rapidly. One novel potential treatment strategy is to foster practice quitting (PQ), defined as attempting to not smoke for a few hours or days, without pressure or expectation to permanently quit. Although a growing body of evidence supports the role of practice quitting in fostering permanent quit attempts and cessation, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding which treatment strategies should be used to engage smokers in practice quitting. The proposed study will test the role of PQ counseling vs. Motivational Interviewing (MI) counseling, and NRT sampling (four-week supply of nicotine lozenges and patches) vs. none.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
780

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for phase_1

Timeline
16mo left

Started Mar 2023

Longer than P75 for phase_1

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress70%
Mar 2023Aug 2027

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

August 16, 2022

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 24, 2022

Completed
7 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 24, 2023

Completed
4.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 30, 2027

Expected
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 30, 2027

Last Updated

August 17, 2025

Status Verified

August 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

4.4 years

First QC Date

August 16, 2022

Last Update Submit

August 13, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

tobaccosmoking cessationnicotine dependencenicotine replacement therapybehavioral treatment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Any incidence of a quit attempt

    Intentional abstinence of ≥ 24 hours between the end of treatment and the 6-month follow-up assessment

    At 6-month follow-up assessment

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Abstinence status at 1-month follow-up

    At 1-month follow-up assessment

  • Abstinence status at 3-month follow-up

    At 3-month follow-up assessment

  • Abstinence status at 6-month follow-up

    At 6-month follow-up assessment

Study Arms (4)

Condition #1

EXPERIMENTAL

NRT Sampling = On Behavioral Counseling = Practice Quitting

Drug: Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) SamplingBehavioral: Practice Quitting (PQ) Counseling

Condition #2

EXPERIMENTAL

NRT Sampling = Off Behavioral Counseling = Practice Quitting

Behavioral: Practice Quitting (PQ) Counseling

Condition #3

EXPERIMENTAL

NRT sampling = On Behavioral counseling = Motivational Interviewing

Drug: Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) SamplingBehavioral: Motivational Interviewing (MI) Counseling

Condition #4

EXPERIMENTAL

NRT sampling = Off Behavioral counseling = Motivational Interviewing

Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing (MI) Counseling

Interventions

Participants randomized to this condition will receive a 4-week nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) starter kit containing both nicotine lozenges and patches in their original packaging.

Condition #1Condition #3

Practice Quitting (PQ) counseling will consist of four weekly treatment sessions, with an initial 45-minute session followed by three 20-minute sessions. The goals of the counseling sessions are 1) to gradually expose patients to nicotine withdrawal symptoms through practice quitting, and 2) to reduce fear and avoidance of the physical sensations associated with nicotine withdrawal.

Condition #1Condition #2

Motivational Interviewing (MI) counseling will consist of four weekly treatment sessions, with an initial 45-minute session followed by three 20-minute sessions. Counseling content will incorporate MI-consistent principles, such as open questions, simple and complex reflections, and affirmations to facilitate participant statements in favor of behavior change. Discussion will focus on the motivational topics outlined in the USPHS guidelines for smokers not ready to quit: 1) relevance of smoking cessation or reduction to the individual, 2) risks of continued heavy smoking, 3) rewards of quitting and reduction, and 4) roadblocks to success, on a 5) repeated basis.

Condition #3Condition #4

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Eligible participants will be males and females who:
  • are 18 years or older
  • report current daily cigarette smoking (≥ 5 cigarettes per day)
  • are not planning to quit in the next 30 days
  • are not currently engaged in smoking cessation treatment
  • are motivated to quit or engage in a non-cessation goal (i.e., reduce smoking, learn more about treatment options, and/ or try out skills to change smoking) in the next 6 months
  • are English speaking
  • reside in the continental United States
  • have access to a smartphone that can be used to complete study procedures

You may not qualify if:

  • Participants will be excluded for daily vaping/ electronic cigarettes use (i.e., use for ≥ 25 days within past 30 days) and any FDA contraindications for NRT use if they:
  • are pregnant/breastfeeding
  • had recent cardiovascular trauma such as myocardial infarction
  • had a stroke within the past 3 months

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Rush University Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tobacco UseSmoking CessationSmokingTobacco Use Disorder

Interventions

Nicotine Replacement TherapyCounselingMotivational Interviewing

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

BehaviorHealth BehaviorSubstance-Related DisordersChemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Drug TherapyTherapeuticsMental Health ServicesBehavioral Disciplines and ActivitiesCommunity Health ServicesHealth ServicesHealth Care Facilities Workforce and ServicesDirective Counseling

Study Officials

  • Amanda Mathew, PhD

    Rush University Medical Center

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Maritza Esqueda-Medina

CONTACT

Amanda Mathew

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 1
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

August 16, 2022

First Posted

August 24, 2022

Study Start

March 24, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 30, 2027

Last Updated

August 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations