Addiction and Cessation

Addressing Tobacco through Organizational Change

Joe Guydish, PhD

Tobacco dependence continues to be the single most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Persons entering drug abuse treatment smoke at 3-4 times the rate, and staff in publicly funded programs smoke at twice the rate, of the general population. Although the burden of illness and associated economic costs of nicotine addiction are elevated in the drug treatment population, treatment programs rarely address comorbid nicotine addiction.

Ask, Advise, Refer: Promoting Pharmacy-based Referrals to Tobacco Quit-Lines

Robin Corelli, PharmD

This project aims to estimate the relative impact of two intervention approaches for generating community pharmacy-based referrals to tobacco cessation telephone quitlines. This study will apply a randomized design, using the community pharmacy as the unit of randomization, to estimate the impact of two approaches for engaging community pharmacy personnel in providing patient referrals to tobacco quitlines: (1) Minimal intervention: Pharmacies are provided, by mail, with printed quitline materials to be distributed by pharmacy personnel to patients who smoke.

Bupropion for Hospital-Based Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Trial

Joel Simon, MD, MPH

This randomized trial examined the efficacy of bupropion when begun in the hospital setting.

Computer-Facilitated 5A's for Smoking Cessation

Jason Satterfield, PhD, MA

Although the 5A’s for smoking cessation is an accepted standard of care, national data show that most primary care providers fail to adhere to the full intervention guidelines.  This NIDA-funded implementation science R01 tests the use of a hybrid delivery model for the 5A’s in primary care that could improve intervention fidelity, save clinician time, and still utilize the social influence of the provider.  This model is being tested in a randomized-controlled trial at 3 UCSF primary care clinics.

Dependence, Smoke Intake, and Carcinogen Exposure Among African American Smokers

Gideon St Helen, PhD

We are investigating the determinants of nicotine/tobacco dependence among African American smokers and the relationship between dependence and smoke intake to understand tobacco-related disease risks within that population. Current studies include assessment of gender differences in nicotine intake and carcinogen exposure among African American light smokers (those who smoke ten or fewer cigarettes per day) and studies on racial and gender differences in smoke intake among African American and Caucasian smokers. 

Development of a Tobacco Control Intervention for Older African American Homeless Adults

Maya Vijayaraghavan, MD, MAS

In this study, funded by the Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, we will conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews of a sub-sample of a cohort of older, African American homeless adults (PI: Dr. Margot Kushel) to develop a smoking cessation intervention unique to the needs of this population. Using these formative data, we will pilot test the smoking cessation intervention among target participants to obtain preliminary data in support of a larger RCT.  

Eastern Europe Center of Excellence for Nurses in Tobacco Control (EE-COE)

Stella Bialous, RN, DrPH, FAAN

Eastern Europe Center of Excellence for Nurses in Tobacco Control (EE-COE), is a collaboration between the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, UCSF & UCLA Schools of Nursing, and partners from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Romania. The EE-COE partners have developed, and are currently implementing educational activities in each of the five countries. The goal of this collaboration was to build capacity among nurses in general practice and in oncology to implement evidence-based interventions with all patients who smoke.

Evaluating Smartphone-Based Gamification for Smoking Cessation

Justin White, PhD

We are assessing the impact of gamification on smoking cessation. 

Evaluation of Tobacco Treatment Strategies for Inpatient Psychiatry

Tung Nguyen, MD

Individuals with mental illness or addictive disorders account for a staggering 44% to 46% of the US tobacco market. The overall goal of this research is to identify efficacious strategies for treating tobacco dependence among adult smokers hospitalized with severe mental illness.

Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Trial

Timothy Carmody, PhD
The purpose of this study was to determine whether hypnosis would be more effective in helping smokers quit than standard behavioral counseling when both interventions are combined with nicotine patches (NP).  Among participants with a history of depression, hypnosis yielded significantly higher validated point-prevalence quit rates at 6 and 12 months than standard treatment.   

Impact of Services on Problem Drinking Trajectories

Kevin Delucchi, PhD

The study addresses the underlying roles that a wide spectrum of health and human services play in the long-term course of alcohol problems in a representative sample of dependent and problem drinkers drawn from a single county’s household population. Fundamental to health services research in the alcohol field is an understanding of the long-term course of problem drinking and how health and human services, including alcohol treatment and self-help, impact that course.

Institute for International Internet Interventions for Health (i4Health)

Ricardo Munoz, PhD

This site, i4Health, is being used to construct a bilingual (Spanish/English), Digital Apothecary to develop, evaluate, and disseminate Massive Open Online Interventions available to anyone, anywhere, any time at no charge.  

See:

1. Muñoz, R. F., Bunge, E. L., Chen, K., Schueller, S. M., Bravin, J. I., Shaughnessy, E. A., & Pérez-Stable, E. J. (2016). Massive Open Online Interventions: A novel model for delivering behavioral-health services worldwide. Clinical Psychological Science, 4, 194–205.

Intensive Intervention for Smokers in Alcohol Treatment

Timothy Carmody, PhD

The primary aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an intensive smoking cessation intervention that utilizes extended cognitive-behavioral therapy (ECBT) and combination nicotine replacement (CNRT), consisting of nicotine patches and adjuvant nicotine replacement (choice of lozenge, gum, nasal spray, or inhaler).    Effective smoking cessation interventions have yet to be identified for alcohol-dependent smokers in early recovery.  The primary aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an intensive smoking cessation interventio

Interactive Mobile Doctor (iMD) Intervention Delivering 5As to Asian American Smokers in Primary Care

Janice Tsoh, PhD

Fewer Asian American smokers reported receiving physician advice to quit when compared to the U.S. general population.

Linking variation in local substance use policies to health outcomes

Dorie Apollonio, PhD, MPP

At the same time that regulations on tobacco and on opioid prescriptions have become more stringent, regulations on cannabis have become less stringent: as of 2019, 11 states had legalized recreational cannabis and an additional 22 states had legalized medical cannabis use. The effects of these diverging trends are not clear, in part due to dramatic differences in local policies. Our work assesses whether localities make consistent choices with respect to substance use policies, and which policies are associated with reduced substance use at the population level.

Linking variation in local substance use policies to health outcomes

Joanne Spetz, PhD

At the same time that regulations on tobacco and on opioid prescriptions have become more stringent, regulations on cannabis have become less stringent: as of 2019, 11 states had legalized recreational cannabis and an additional 22 states had legalized medical cannabis use. The effects of these diverging trends are not clear, in part due to dramatic differences in local policies. Our work assesses whether localities make consistent choices with respect to substance use policies, and which policies are associated with reduced substance use at the population level.

Maintaining Nonsmoking

Sharon Hall, PhD

A randomized controlled trial to study the efficacy of an extended treatment for cigarette smoking in a clinical setting.

No Butts: Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record to Address Tobacco Cessation


Tobacco use remains the largest preventable cause of death in the United States[i]. Tobacco cessation involves multiple quit attempts over time—but with provider engagement, patients are more likely to remain smoke-free. A 2014 Cochrane review showed that documentation of tobacco use and referral to cessation counseling appeared to increase following implementation of EMR-based tools[ii].

Pharmacologic Basis of Racial Difference in Nicotine Dependence

Neal Benowitz, MD, Gideon St Helen, PhD

AA and EA smokers undergo detailed monitoring of smoking behavior, receive known doses of nicotine to establish nicotine metabolic rate, undergo DNA testing, and have their responses to not smoking for several hours studied. Exposure to carcinogens and other tobacco smoke toxins is also measured.  It is hypothesized that there are racial differences in metabolism that may explain different patterns of smoking, and that this in turn influences the reasons why smokers continue to self-administer nicotine (i.e., continue to smoke).

Rate of Nicotine Metabolism and Withdrawal Symptoms in Adolescent Light Smokers


The goal of this study was to examine the associations between the rate of nicotine metabolism and cigarette consumption, addiction and withdrawal symptoms.

Real World Assessment of e-Cigarette Use for Smoking Cessation Among Older Smokers


In the U.S. there has been tremendous success in the reduction of smoking prevalence. However, for older adults who make up over a quarter of the US population and are expected to double by 2050, the decrease in smoking prevalence has stalled. While overall tobacco use in the US has declined the smallest reductions have been among 45-64yos and men older than 65 actually had a 10% increase. There has been rapid growth in electronic cigarette use among older smokers and the most common reported reason for use is to quit smoking cigarettes.

SF CAN - Commune Smokefree Social

Pamela Ling, MD, MPH

This project is part of the Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center’s program to decrease cancer in San Francisco. The goal is to increase smoking cessation among young adults, as quitting before age 30 avoids almost all the health consequences of smoking. Commune Smokefree Social groups are advertised and held on Facebook for Bay Area young adults to support smoking cessation.

Smoking Cessation Contracts with Social and Monetary Incentives: The SMILE Trial

Justin White, PhD

In this large cluster randomized trial, we are evaluating the effectiveness of multiple types of social and monetary incentives for smoking cessation among low-income factory workers in Thailand.

The Healthy Family Project: A Family-Based Intervention to Promote Smoking Cessation among Asian American Smokers

Janice Tsoh, PhD
Dr. Tsoh is conducting several projects to promote smoking cessation among Asian American smokers in community and clinical settings. The projects focus on identifying effective channels for delivering smoking cessation treatment, developing comprehensive and culturally-sensitive treatment approaches, and disseminating intervention technology developed from research to the community and clinical practice settings.

Tobacco Use Among Rural High School Males and Associated Nicotine and Carcinogen Exposure

Neal Benowitz, MD, Stuart Gansky, MS, DrPH

Unlike smoking,conventional smokeless tobacco (ST) (moist snuff, known as dip and chewing tobacco) among US high school students is much higher among males (13%) than females (2%) and is especially high in rural areas.  In 2005, ST manufacturers spent over $250 million on marketing, including “new” ST products such as dissolvable films, compressed tobacco (e.g.

Using Technology to Help Low-Income and Latino Smokers Quit

Ricardo Munoz, PhD

We invite Spanish- and English-speaking adult smokers who want to quit to join our study at: sfstopsmoking.org (English) or sfdejardefumar.org (Spanish).  Smokers can use this free site via smartphones, tablets, or computers to download a stop smoking guide or use it online to help them quit smoking.