Motivational Program for Smokers Enrolled in a Methadone Maintenance Program

Smoking Cessation Among Methadone Maintained Patients

RATIONALE: Stop-smoking programs may help patients stop smoking and prevent cancer from forming.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying how well a motivational program works in helping smokers enrolled in a methadone maintenance program quit smoking.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention on smoking cessation in smokers enrolled in a methadone maintenance program.

OUTLINE: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 groups.

• Group 1: Patients undergo assessment at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months.
• Group 2: Patients receive a brief motivational intervention at the time of their baseline assessment and undergo assessment as in group 1.

All patients will be offered a 2- to 3-month supply of nicotine patches.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 400 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Must be currently enrolled in a methadone maintenance program
• Smokes at least 10 cigarettes a day

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not pregnant
• No concurrent medical condition that precludes the use of nicotine patches

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No concurrent use of other nicotine replacement therapy