Very low nicotine cigarettes to help people on buprenorphine with chronic pain quit smoking
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-11190972 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $241,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R34DA060477-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190972 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who currently smoke, are receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder, and have non-cancer chronic pain are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not smoke, are not on buprenorphine, or whose pain is cancer-related or managed very differently may not get direct benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would smoke your usual cigarettes for one week while reporting pain, cravings, and smoking on your phone. After that, you'll be randomly given either very low nicotine cigarettes or regular nicotine cigarettes for four weeks and continue momentary reports via a phone app. The study tracks smoking behavior, craving and withdrawal symptoms, pain levels, motivation to quit, and timing of buprenorphine doses. Researchers will compare changes between the two groups to learn whether lowering nicotine weakens the links between pain, buprenorphine dosing, and smoking urges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, switching to very low nicotine cigarettes could make it easier for people on buprenorphine with chronic pain to reduce or stop smoking and lower pain-related urges to smoke.
How similar studies have gone: Previous trials in general smoking populations have shown very low nicotine cigarettes can reduce dependence and smoking, but applying this approach specifically to people with opioid use disorder and chronic pain is new.
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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Targeting Reinforcement to Help Smokers with Opioid Use Disorder and Chronic Pain Quit
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.
-
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.
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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.