What is the study about?

The Research Study for Tobacco Cessation is an evaluation of the tobacco cessation programs offered through LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke's employee wellness program.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between genes you have inherited and your response to treatment to help you quit smoking cigarettes. It will also be used to determine the potential cost-effectiveness of the treatments used for smoking cessation.

Who can join?

To enroll in this study, you must be:

• Enrolled in one of Duke’s health plans
• Not currently pregnant
• Not planning to leave Duke in the next six months
• Interested in joining the Tobacco Cessation Program

What will I do as part of the study?

If the physician or physician assistant approves your participation, you will be asked to set a target quit-smoking date approximately five weeks out.

The study visit with LIVE FOR LIFE will take place as soon as possible after your screening visit. At this visit you will be given 21mg nicotine patches to apply daily for the next four weeks.

You will receive phone calls or e-mails from us weekly after you start using the nicotine patch. The last of these contacts will take place the day before your scheduled quit day.

Based on your response to the nicotine patches, you may be given the option to start taking Zyban with the nicotine patch or switch to Chantix. If the study physician feels that it is medically acceptable for you to take either Zyban or Chantix (based on information collected at the screening visit), you will be given the choice of which drug you prefer to take for the next 12 weeks. You will also select a new quit date for one week later.

Six months after your quit-smoking date you will be contacted by LIVE FOR LIFE staff to ask about your current smoking status. A saliva collection kit and instructions will also be sent to you in the mail.

What’s in it for me?

You will be reimbursed up to $150 for your participation in this study.

Another possible benefit from participation in this study is that you may quit smoking based on our recommendation about treatment. We hope the information learned from this study will benefit smokers in the future.

Who is conducting the study?

The principal investigator is Jed Rose, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke, and the director of the Duke Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research.

Information and Registration

For more information, contact our tobacco specialist Diane Dunder at 919-681-0529 or e-mail diane.dunder@duke.edu.