Shaping Habitual Impulses For a Tobacco-free Style

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · Jun 9, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new way to help people quit smoking by combining a standard quitting program with a special training called approach bias retraining (ABR), which aims to change automatic habits that make quitting hard. People who join will be randomly placed into one of three groups: one that gets both the standard treatment and ABR, one that gets the standard treatment plus a fake version of ABR (to compare results), or one that just gets the standard treatment alone. The goal is to see if adding this new training helps people stop smoking more successfully.

To take part, you need to be at least 18 years old, speak and write English well, and have been smoking at least 5 cigarettes a day for the past year. You should also be motivated to quit and willing to come to in-person visits. The study will check your smoking status with a simple breath test. Some people won’t be able to join, such as those currently using other quitting aids, pregnant women, or those with certain health or mental health conditions. If you join, you’ll be asked to follow the assigned program and attend visits; your progress will be monitored to understand how well the new approach works. This study is not yet recruiting participants.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • At least 18 years of age Ability to speak English fluently Ability to write in English fluently Smoke at least 5 cigarettes daily on average Smoke at least 5 cigarettes daily on average for the past year Motivated to quit smoking (≥ 5 on a 10-point scale) Willing to attend in-person visits Provide written informed consent, accepting study inclusion criteria and the randomized group assignment English literacy of 6th grade or higher, as indicated by a score of 4 or greater on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine-Short Form (REALM-SF) Biochemical verification of smoking status with expired carbon monoxide (CO) levels of \>4 parts per million (PPM)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Having used an e-cigarette in the past 3 months Having initiated any mental health therapy or pharmacotherapy within the past 3 months Being currently in therapy for substance abuse (including nicotine dependence) Currently using any NRT or psychotherapy products for nicotine cessation Currently using Bupropion as a smoking cessation aid and antidepressant Currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant Having high blood pressure that is not under control Having a heart attack within the past 2 weeks Having Visual impairments Hand-motoric impairments Currently suicidal or high suicide risk or current or past psychotic disorders of any type, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, anorexia, bulimia Cognitive impairment, verified via a score of \> 8 on the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT)