Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Phase 2, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Varenicline Tartrate for Alcohol Dependence in Very Heavy Drinkers
Brief Summary: The primary objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of varenicline in reducing the proportion of heavy drinking days during the last 8 weeks of treatment in subjects with alcohol dependence confirmed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria and who frequently consume 10 or more drinks per drinking day for men and 8 or more drinks for women (designated as "very heavy" drinkers).


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female cigarette smokers over the age of 18 years who are not willing/able to quit smoking within the next month but who are willing to attempt to reduce their smoking to work toward a quit attempt within the next 3 months.
* Subjects must have smoked an average of at least 10 cigarettes per day during the past year and during the month prior to the screening visit, with no continuous period of abstinence greater than 3 months in the past year and who have an exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) \>10 ppm at screening.
* Subjects with mild to moderate depression or anxiety may be included if their condition is stable.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with a history of a suicide attempt or any suicidal behavior in the past two years.
* Subjects with severe depression or anxiety.
* Subjects with psychosis, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or schizophrenia.
* Subjects with alcohol or substance abuse or dependence (except nicotine) unless in full remission for at least 12 months.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

Eligible participants will be males and females

1. Between the ages of 18-65.
2. Smoke at least 10 cigarettes/day for the past 6 months.
3. Provide a baseline Carbon Monoxide (CO) reading greater than 10ppm at the Intake Session.
4. Are seeking smoking cessation treatment.
5. Plan to live in the area for the next 12 months.
6. Fluent English speaker.
7. Capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the combined consent and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) form. All subjects must consent to use a medically accepted method of birth control (e.g., condoms and spermicide, oral contraceptive, Depo-Provera injection, contraceptive patch, tubal ligation) or abstain from sexual intercourse during the time they are taking study medication (pills and patches) and for at least one month after the medication period ends. All female subjects of child-bearing potential should not be pregnant for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Smoking Behavior

1. Regular (daily) use of chewing tobacco, snuff or snus.
2. Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another smoking cessation or research program in the next 12 months.
3. Plan to use other nicotine substitutes or smoking cessation treatments in the next 12 months.
4. Provide a baseline CO reading less than or equal to 10ppm at the Intake Session.

Alcohol/Drug Exclusion Criteria

1. History (within the last year) or currently receiving treatment for substance abuse (e.g., alcohol, opioids, cocaine, marijuana, or stimulants), excluding nicotine.
2. Current use of cocaine and/or methamphetamines (urine drug screen at the Intake Session).
3. Current alcohol consumption that exceeds greater than 25 standard drinks/week.
4. Current alcohol abuse or dependence.
5. Current non-alcoholic psychoactive substance abuse or dependence.

Medical Exclusion Criteria

1. Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or lactating.
2. History of epilepsy or a seizure disorder.
3. Current medical problems for which transdermal nicotine is contraindicated including:

   * Allergy to latex.
   * History of kidney and/or liver disease, including transplant (self-report).
   * Uncontrolled hypertension (determined as a Systolic Blood pressure (SBP) reading greater than 160 and/or a Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) greater than 100).
4. Serious or unstable disease within the past 6 months.
5. History (last 6 months) of abnormal heart rhythms, tachycardia and cardiovascular disease (stroke, angina, heart attack) may result in ineligibility. These conditions will be evaluated on a case by case basis by the Study Physician.
6. Inability to provide a blood sample to be used to assess nicotine metabolite ratio.

Psychiatric Exclusion Criteria (as determined by self report \& MINI)

1. Current diagnosis of major depression. Persons with a history of major depression, if stable for 6 months or longer, are eligible, provided they are not excluded based on medications (below).
2. Any suicide risk score on MINI or self-reported suicide attempt on telephone screen.
3. Current or past hypomanic/manic episode.
4. History or current diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
5. History or current diagnosis of psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia.

Medication Exclusion Criteria

1. Current use or recent discontinuation (within the last 14-days) of:

   * Smoking cessation medication (e.g. Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Chantix); NOTE: Once participants are found eligible for the study, they are instructed to use the smoking cessation medication provided to them by the study staff. If a subject reports an isolated (non-daily) instance of using a non-study smoking cessation medication, the study physician and PI will evaluate the situation and determine if it is safe for the subject to continue participation.
   * Anti-psychotic medications.
   * Certain medications used to treat depression, including Wellbutrin, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), and tricyclic antidepressants.
   * Prescription stimulants (e.g. Provigil, Ritalin, Adderall).
2. Current use of:

   * Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT); NOTE: Once participants are found eligible for the study, they are told they should only use the NRT provided to them by the study staff. If a subject reports an isolated (non-daily) instance of NRT use during the study, they may be permitted to continue.
   * Tagamet (cimetidine).
   * Heart medications such as digoxin, quinidine, nitroglycerin; use of these medications may result in ineligibility and will therefore be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Study Physician.
   * Anti-coagulants (e.g., Coumadin, Warfarin).
3. Daily use of:

   * Opiate-containing medications for chronic pain; if a participant reports taking an opiate-containing medication every day for the 14 days prior to the telephone screen and/or Intake Session, the participant will be ineligible.
   * Rescue Inhalers (e.g. albuterol, proventil, ventolin, or maxair)

General Exclusion

1. Any medical condition, illness, disorder or concomitant medication that could compromise participant safety or treatment, as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician.
2. Inability to provide informed consent or complete any of the study tasks as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Have a current (past 12 months) DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
3. Be seeking treatment for alcohol dependence and desire a reduction or cessation of drinking.
4. Be able to verbalize an understanding of the consent form, able to provide written informed consent, verbalize willingness to complete study procedures, able to understand written and oral instructions in English and able to complete the questionnaires required by the protocol.
5. Agree (if the subject is female and of child bearing potential) to use at least one of the following methods of birth control, unless she is surgically sterile, partner is surgically sterile or she is postmenopausal:

   1. oral contraceptives,
   2. contraceptive sponge,
   3. patch,
   4. double barrier (diaphragm/spermicidal or condom/spermicidal),
   5. intrauterine contraceptive system,
   6. levonorgestrel implant,
   7. medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection,
   8. complete abstinence from sexual intercourse,
   9. hormonal vaginal contraceptive ring, and/or
6. Be able to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the medication regimen
7. Complete all assessments required at screening and baseline.
8. Provide evidence of stable residence in the last 2 months prior to randomization, have reasonable transportation arrangements to the study site, and have no plans to move within the next 3 months or unresolved legal problems. Subjects must provide contact information of someone, such as a family member, spouse, or significant other, who may be able to contact the subject in case of a missed clinic appointment.
9. Be willing to discontinue the use of nicotine replacement therapies prior to randomization and refrain from using nicotine replacement therapies during the course of the study.
10. Have a blood alcohol content (BAC) by breathalyzer equal to 0.000 when s/he signed the informed consent document.
11. Be someone who in the opinion of the investigator would be expected to complete the study protocol.
12. Agree to the schedule of visits, verbally acknowledge that s/he will be able to attend each scheduled visit, participate in phone visits and that s/he does not have any already scheduled events or a job that may interfere with study participation.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Males and females between 18 and 55 years old will be eligible for this study. Females must not be pregnant as determined by pregnancy screening, nor breast feeding, and must be using acceptable birth control methods during study participation.
* Current opioid dependence as evidenced by documentation of prior treatment for opioid dependence or signs of withdrawal, self-reported history of opioid dependence for consecutive 12 month period and a positive urine for opiates.
* Subjects must fulfill Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for opioid dependence.
* Subjects must have a history of cocaine use, with a reported street cocaine use of a minimum of 1/2 gram during the preceding 30 days.
* Subjects must meet DSM-IV criteria for cocaine dependence or abuse, and have laboratory confirmation of recent cocaine use (positive urine for cocaine) during the month prior to study entry.
* Subjects must be treatment-seekers for opioid and cocaine use.
* Subjects must have smoked at least 10 cigarette per day for at least one year. Varenicline's safety has only been studied in smokers.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, ischemic ECG changes, chest pain, arrhythmia, hypertension.
* History of severe renal or hepatic diseases.
* History of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar or major depressive disorder.
* History of seizure disorder.
* Current diagnosis of alcohol, benzodiazepine and other drug abuse or dependence (other than opiates, cocaine, and nicotine).
* Current use of over-the-counter or prescription psychoactive drugs (antidepressant, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, psychostimulants).
* Liver function tests (ALT or AST) greater than 3 times normal.
* Known allergy to varenicline or methadone.

Answer: C