E-cigarettes plus optional counseling to help adults with mental illness switch from cigarettes
Official title: Harm Reduction for Smokers with Mental Illness: RCT of E-cigarette Provision with or without Behavioral Support to Boost Switching
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11323906 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers e-cigarettes, with or without behavioral support, to adults with mental illness who smoke to help them switch away from cigarettes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $660,470 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA057729-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323906 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21 and older) with a diagnosed mental illness who currently smoke cigarettes and are willing to try e-cigarettes are the best candidates to participate.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not current smokers, are under 21, are unwilling to try e-cigarettes, or who prefer to pursue complete nicotine abstinence rather than switching are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you are an adult with a mental health condition who smokes, you may be offered free e-cigarettes and supplies to try replacing most or all of your cigarettes. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either e-cigarette provision alone or e-cigarettes plus extra behavioral counseling to support switching. Researchers will track how much participants smoke and vape and will collect biomarker tests that measure exposure to tobacco carcinogens. Follow-up visits will measure changes over time and help determine which approach helps people reduce harm most effectively.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce exposure to cigarette carcinogens and lower smoking-related health risks for people with mental illness.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier pilot studies and one randomized trial in smokers with mental illness showed meaningful reductions in cigarette use and some switching to e-cigarettes, though switching rates were modest.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pratt, Sarah Ilana — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Pratt, Sarah Ilana
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.