Providing Free Nicotine Patches to Quitline Smokers

Summary

The California Smokers' Helpline will conduct a 3 X 2 (nicotine patch by counseling condition) randomized trial to test the provision of nicotine patches to help smokers calling a telephone quitline. The study assesses one factor related to nicotine patches with 3 levels: sending patches directly from the Helpline, providing vouchers that can be redeemed for patches, and usual care. A second factor is counseling plus materials versus materials only. This proposed study has the following specific aims:

1. To demonstrate that a voucher for free nicotine patches will increase the quit rate for smokers who do not have access to free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
2. To demonstrate that sending patches directly from a quitline would outperform sending vouchers for free NRT, since the vouchers impose an additional barrier to those who want to quit
3. To determine the effect of telephone counseling in the context of nicotine patch distribution and if any interaction effects exist between counseling and patch conditions

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Telephone counseling

Telephone counseling is conducted in the appropriate language (English and Spanish) by veteran counselors at the California Smokers' Helpline. Subjects will receive free proactive telephone counseling to help them set up quit smoking plans. The content of the counseling addresses both behavioral and cognitive issues that the individual smoker faces in his/her attempt to quit. It includes a 30-minute comprehensive pre-quit session (motivation, planning, setting of a quit date and the discussion of quitting aids including nicotine patch use) plus up to four 10-minute proactive follow-up calls. The counseling protocol has several distinguishing features: proactive follow-up counseling calls, a manualized (i.e., semi-structured) protocol and relapse-sensitive scheduling

BEHAVIORAL

Voucher

Subjects will receive a voucher for nicotine patches. Subjects randomized into the voucher condition will receive a voucher that can be exchanged for two weeks' worth of free starter kit nicotine patches by calling a dedicated phone number (Quit Boost). The voucher will be mailed the day after the screening intake. Subjects who smoke 11 or more cigarettes per day will receive 21 mg patches; smoke 10 or less per day will receive 14 mg patches. Subjects will be encouraged to start using these patches on their quit date.

DRUG

Nicotine patches

Subjects will receive nicotine patches directly sent to their home. Subjects randomized into the patch condition will receive two weeks' worth of free starter kit nicotine patches directly. The patches will be mailed directly to their home the day after screening intake. Subjects who smoke 11 or more cigarettes per day will receive 21 mg patches; smoke 10 or less per day will receive 14 mg patches. Subjects will be encouraged to start using these patches on their quit date.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, San Diego

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Shu-Hong Zhu, Ph.D. · University of California, San Diego

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-04-30

Primary Completion

2014-11-30

Completion

2014-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations