Conditions: Tobacco Abstinence
Keywords: Tobacco Dependence Smoking Tobacco Cessation
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 32
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The goal of this proposal is to explore the potential effectiveness of varenicline to treat tobacco dependence among recovering alcoholic smokers who, as a group, are at high risk for tobacco-caused morbidity and mortality. In this open-label phase II clinical trial, we are proposing to enroll 32 recovering alcoholic smokers who are motivated to stop smoking. After the initial up titration of varenicline in week 1, all 32 subjects will receive a total of 2 mg/day of varenicline for 12 weeks. In addition to receiving varenicline, all subjects will receive brief behavioral counseling and our standard intervention at each visit during participation in the study.

Detailed description:
This is an open-label, phase II clinical trial. All subjects will be screened for study eligibility after providing informed consent. During the clinic screen visit the subjects are informed of the study, the study informed consent is signed by the subject and staff member, a series of screening tests are conducted and screening criteria are reviewed. Once enrolled in study, the subject will return for a face to face clinic visit weekly for the first 4 weeks (visits 3-6) and then biweekly for the last 8 weeks(visits 7-10). Target quit day is the day after visit 3 (week 1 visit).

During the first week varenicline will be started at a dose of 0.5 mg once daily for days 1-3; then 0.5 mg twice daily for days 4-7. Target quit date is set at day 8. Varenicline is then continued for weeks 2-12 at a dose of 1 mg twice daily.

Subjects will return weekly for 4 weeks then bi-weekly for the remaining 8 weeks. The study end-date will be Week 12, which is also the end-of-treatment date.

Arms:
arm 1: Everyone on study will receive Varenicline daily for 12 weeks

Interventions: intervention 1: Varenicline
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: During the first week varenicline will be started at a dose of 0.5 mg once daily for days 1-3; then 0.5 mg twice daily for days 4-7. Target quit date is set at day 8. Varenicline is then continued for weeks 2-12 at a dose of 1 mg twice daily.

Protocol document: