In total, 70 smokers will be randomized to: standard of care smoking cessation medication varenicline alone (an FDA-approved smoking cessation medication) or varenicline plus contingency management (CM) (a behavioral procedure with rewards for target behaviors, like smoking abstinence). Patients in both conditions will receive varenicline for 12 weeks with standard smoking cessation therapy and regular breath and urine sample monitoring for smoking. Patients assigned to CM will earn chances to win prizes for each breath sample that tests negative for smoking, and urine samples that test negative for smoking will result in even greater chances for prizes. More CM patients are expected to achieve and maintain abstinence than patients receiving varenicline alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
59
Prize-based contingency management, with the opportunity to earn prizes for expired carbon monoxide levels reading 6ppm or less and urinary cotinine levels reading 30ng/ml or less for 4 weeks.
varenicline (smoking cessation medication) 0.5mg po daily Days 1-3, 0.5mg po twice daily Days 4-7, 1.0 mg po twice daily Days 8-84.
Twice weekly brief counseling based on public health service guidelines for quitting smoking.
University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington, Connecticut, United States
Smoking abstinence based on expired carbon monoxide tests, urinary cotinine tests and self-report.
Time frame: weeks 5, 12 & 24
Changes from baseline in ambulatory 24-hour systolic blood pressure.
Time frame: 6 and 24 weeks following the initiation of medication
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