Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy for Veterans Who Smoke Tobacco and Are Experiencing Homelessness
Key facts
- Who runs it
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Where
- Durham, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 120 people, planned
- Starts
- 1 Mar 2027
- Expected to end
- 1 Sept 2030
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Smoking Cessation
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy
- Bupropion
- Varenicline
- Mobile Contingency Management
- Clinic-Based Smoking Cessation Counseling
- Record updated
- 20 July 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 6 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Are homeless
- Smoke at least 5 cigarettes daily with CO indicating current smoking at time of screening assessment
- Are willing to try to quit smoking in next 30 days
Who cannot take part
- Have uncontrolled psychotic symptoms
- Have active substance dependence other than nicotine (participants in partial remission with at least one month sobriety will be included)
- Have severely impaired hearing or speech
Where in United States
- Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NCDurham, United StatesContact: Angela C Kirby, MSNot yet recruiting
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Seventy to eighty percent of Veterans experiencing homelessness (VEH) smoke, which is four times the rate of the U.S. population and 2.5 times higher than among impoverished Americans. Smoking- related deaths among persons experiencing homelessness occur at double the rate seen among more stably housed people. The purpose of this study study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to help Veterans experiencing homelessness stop smoking. The intervention, called Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy + (ART+), includes telehealth-based counseling, smoking cessation aids, and mobile contingency management (mCM). mCM is an intervention in which participants are paid for smoking abstinence. 120 Veterans who smoke cigarettes and are experiencing homelessness will be randomly assigned to receive either ART+ or usual smoking cessation care. The primary outcome to be evaluated is the rate at which Veterans assigned to the ART+ condition report smoking abstinence and have their abstinence verified using salivary testing.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy +Treatment being tested
Abstinence Reinforcement Therapy +, or ART+, includes five sessions and several booster sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy for smoking cessation, two forms of nicotine replacement therapy plus bupropion or varenicline, and mobile contingency management for smoking cessation.
Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Smoking Cessation, Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Bupropion, Varenicline, and Mobile Contingency Management
- Standard Care ConditionExisting treatment, for comparison
Standard Care Condition will involve referral to local VA clinic-based smoking cessation care. This care often includes pharmacotherapy, counseling options, and/or use of a telephone-based, texting-based or app-based smoking cessation program.
Treatment: Nicotine Replacement Therapy, Bupropion, Varenicline, and Clinic-Based Smoking Cessation Counseling
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Record updated
- 20 July 2026