Targeting Reinforcement to Help Smokers with Opioid Use Disorder and Chronic Pain Quit
Official title: Targeting Reinforcement Mechanisms for Smoking Cessation Using Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes in Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and Chronic Pain
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11384704 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study to see if switching people who smoke and are on buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and chronic pain to cigarettes with very low nicotine can help them quit smoking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $241,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R34DA060477-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384704 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with smoking and opioid use disorder who are receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment and have chronic, non-cancer pain.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without OUD or chronic pain, or those unable to use VLNC cigarettes, may not experience benefit.
What this research studies
This project will focus on adults who smoke and are on buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder and who also have chronic pain. It uses a randomized design to compare very low nicotine content cigarettes with regular nicotine cigarettes and looks at how this change affects smoking behavior, pain, cravings, withdrawal, and motivation to quit. Participants will wear devices and complete short daily prompts to capture how pain and opioid dosing relate to smoking urges in real time. The study runs over several weeks, with EMA data collection during the switch and after, to understand how cigarette type may disrupt the reinforcement cycles driving smoking in this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could make quitting smoking easier for people on opioid treatment and living with chronic pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests nicotine content can influence reinforcement and cessation, but this specific population and design is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sweitzer, Maggie M — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Sweitzer, Maggie M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Very low nicotine cigarettes to help people on buprenorphine with chronic pain quit smoking
This compares switching to very low nicotine cigarettes versus regular cigarettes for people with opioid use disorder who have chronic pain to see if it reduces smoking, cravings, withdrawal, and pain.
-
Using very low nicotine cigarettes to help people with opioid use disorder and chronic pain quit smoking
This study is looking at whether switching to very low nicotine cigarettes can help people with opioid use disorder and chronic pain quit smoking, by tracking their cravings and smoking habits over four weeks to see how it affects their pain and withdrawal symptoms.
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Very low nicotine cigarettes to help quitting for people with chronic back pain
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-
Data infrastructure support for real-time opioid overdose prevention
A program to build flexible data systems that can share and use opioid overdose and related health data so researchers and clinicians can act faster and smarter.
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Smoking cessation program for Veterans with chronic pain using interactive voice/phone support
A randomized trial tests whether an integrated pain-and-smoking cessation program delivered to Veterans with chronic pain helps people quit smoking better than standard quitting methods.
-
Digital program to help Veterans with chronic pain and opioid-use disorder stay on treatment and feel better
A web-based 9-week program helps Veterans on buprenorphine manage chronic pain and cravings from home.
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.