• Continuous abstinence assessed by the time-line follow-back method (quit day to 6-month follow up) [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Rate of compliance at 24 hours and 30 days [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Compare the efficacy of behavioral counseling and nicotine-replacement therapy with either oral nicotine lozenge (NL) or transdermal nicotine patch (NP), in terms of promoting rates of smoking cessation (e.g., continued abstinence), in adult smokers.
• Examine the degree to which nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) preference, desire to control NRT dosing, irregular smoking schedules, and desire for oral preoccupation moderates the relative efficacy of NL vs NP in promoting smoking cessation.
• Evaluate the impact of the NL on mediators of smoking cessation (i.e., reduced craving, diminished withdrawal symptoms, cue reactivity, and increased perceived control over withdrawal symptoms).

Secondary

• Compare the rate of compliance with NRT across the 2 treatment arms and examine if compliance rate mediates the effects of NRT on quit rates.
• Examine the potential role of genes related to nicotine dependence such as genes related to nicotine metabolism enzymes (e.g., CYP1A1) or genes related to dopamine concentrations (e.g., DRD2).

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, open-label, multicenter study. Participants are stratified according to study center. Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 intervention arms.

All participants undergo smoking cessation counseling in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Beginning in week 3, participants are asked to quit smoking for 12 weeks (weeks 3-14).

• Arm I: Participants apply a transdermal nicotine patch at 3 different time periods during weeks 3-14; a higher-dose patch is applied for weeks 3-8, a medium-dose patch is applied for weeks 9-10, and a lower-dose patch is applied for weeks 11-14.
• Arm II: Participants receive one oral nicotine lozenge every 1-2 hours in weeks 3-8 (≥ 9 lozenges per day), one lozenge every 2-4 hours in weeks 9-11 (≥ 5 lozenges per day), and 1 lozenge every 4-8 hours in weeks 12-14 (≥ 3 lozenges per day).

The moderating variables (e.g., nicotine replacement-therapy [NRT] preference and the smoker's desire to control NRT dosing) are assessed at baseline. The mediating variables (i.e., reduced craving, diminished withdrawal symptoms, cue reactivity, and increased perceived control over withdrawal symptoms) are assessed at baseline and then at weeks 5, 7, 9, within weeks 14-16, and within weeks 26-28. Continuous abstinence will be measured at week 27.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 700 participants will be accrued for this study.