Varenicline for Smoking Cessation in Heavy Drinking Smokers

Yale researchers are investigating the use of the medication varenicline to help men and women who drink alcohol quit smoking.

Varenicline is a medication that targets nicotine receptors in the brain. It has been approved as a smoking cessation medication and is also being investigated for its potential effect on alcohol consumption.

“Alcohol use is a common relapse trigger for men and women who are trying to quit smoking” said Stephanie O'Malley, professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, director of the Substance Abuse Research Division, and principal investigator for the Yale Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC). “The development of a treatment that will allow smokers to quit while reducing alcohol use could improve quit rates for more smokers,” she said.

She and her team are looking for men and women smokers who want to quit and who also drink alcohol regularly to participate in an 8-week study to see whether it has an effect on their ability to quit smoking and their drinking. All participants will receive counseling to help them quit smoking. Some of the participants will receive placebo varenicline for the first 3 weeks and some will receive varenicline. All of the participants will then receive varenicline for 5 weeks thereafter.

Yale TTURC is part of the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Use Research at Yale and is one of seven research centers nationwide conducting a diverse spectrum of transdisciplinary tobacco-related research. It is funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

(HIC # 0809004276)

Naltrexone Tested as Weight Gain Deterrent in Quitting Smoking

Yale researchers are investigating the use of the medication naltrexone to help men and women quit smoking without gaining weight.

“The prospect of gaining weight is of particular concern to women smokers and to a substantial number of men,” said Stephanie O'Malley, professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, director of the Substance Abuse Research Division, and principal investigator for the Yale Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC). “The development of a treatment that will allow smokers to quit while reducing weight gain could convince more people to attempt quitting,” she said.

Naltrexone is a medication that blocks the effects of drugs such as morphine, heroin, and codeine. It also has been approved for use in treating alcoholism and is being investigating for its ability to help smokers quit.

She and her team are looking for men and women smokers who want to quit and are also concerned about gaining weight while doing so. All of the participants will use the nicotine patch and will receive counseling to help them quit. Some of the participants also will receive a low dose of naltrexone to see whether it has an effect on their weight and their ability to quit smoking. Most smoking studies provide treatment for six to 12 weeks. This study will provide nicotine replacement therapy for eight weeks and counseling for six months.

Dr. Benjamin Toll, associate research scientist, said most smokers gain weight in the first six months after quitting smoking. “Extending the traditional length of treatment might not only increase abstinence rates and prevent relapse, but also allow for greater stabilization of the person as a successful quitter,” Toll said.

Yale TTURC is part of the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Use Research at Yale and is one of seven research centers nationwide conducting a diverse spectrum of transdisciplinary tobacco-related research. It is funded by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

(HIC # 26956)

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