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CENTURY
Yale University
School of Medicine
SAC-203
Connecticut
Mental Health Center
34 Park Street
New Haven, CT 06519

Phone:
203-974-7591

Fax:
203-974-7606

E-mail:
infocentury@yale.edu

CENTURY/TTURC Press Release

New Haven, Conn. - Two studies by the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Use Research at Yale (CENTURY) can help smokers who want to kick the habit.

One study will examine the novel use of an existing drug as a possible treatment for smoking. The other will examine why treatment-resistant smokers find it hard to quit. Both studies are seeking participants who want to quit smoking.

According to published research, a significant percentage of those who smoke a pack or more a day report failure in trying to quit or cut back. Those who are able to quit usually require several attempts.

Both Yale studies address that reality. One study, led by Dr. Stephanie O'Malley, professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, will investigate whether the drug naltrexone, used in combination with the nicotine patch, can help people quit smoking. In addition, the study will look at the effects of naltrexone on the craving for cigarettes, weight gain following quitting, and alcohol consumption.

Dr. Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, is the lead investigator on the other study, which will try to determine the best treatment for smokers who have a particularly hard time quitting, such as women, drinkers and people who are depressed. Krishnan-Sarin said research shows that these are the subgroups that often relapse.

Participants in this study will join a one-month intensive smoking cessation program that will teach them how to quit, and prevent relapse. It also will reward abstinence from smoking with increasing amounts of money. This program will not use any drugs to assist smoking cessation.

"Rewarding people for not smoking has been shown to successfully reduce smoking rates," said Dr. Krishnan-Sarin. "Our experience to date indicates very high quit rates, approximately 90 percent at the end of the first week of not smoking."

The two studies are part of a five-year $10 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The grant has been used to create the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center at Yale (TTURC).

People who are interested in participating in the study should contact Susan at 203-974-7588 or Amy at 860-667-6828.