Smoking Tobacco and Drinking Study

Using Facebook to Address Smoking and Heavy Drinking in Young Adults

This trial will test the efficacy of a 3-month intervention on Facebook targeting tobacco use and heavy episodic drinking against a 3-month Facebook intervention targeting tobacco use. Both groups will be offered a nicotine patch starter kit. The primary outcome is verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence from smoking at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions: (1) a Facebook-delivered intervention addressing tobacco use and heavy episodic drinking, tailored to readiness to quit smoking; or (2) a 3-month Facebook intervention targeting tobacco use. Both interventions will include 12 weeks of Facebook-based messages and activities tailored to participants' readiness to quit smoking.

Assessments will occur at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months follow-up. Assessments will include measures on smoking and drinking patterns and thoughts about abstinence. All participants who report no past 7-day smoking will be asked to give biochemical verification of smoking status with saliva cotinine test kits that will be mailed to participants.

Inclusion Criteria:

• read English
• between 18 and 25 years of age
• indicate they use Facebook "most" (≥ 4) days per week
• have smoked ≥100 cigarettes in their lives and currently smoke at least 1 cigarette per day on 4 or more days of the week
• have had at least one heavy drinking episode (5+ for men, 4+ for women) in the past month.

Exclusion Criteria:

• do not read English
• are not between 18 and 25 years of age
• indicate they do not use Facebook "most" (≥ 4) days per week
• have not smoked ≥100 cigarettes in their lives and currently smoke at least 1 cigarette per day on 4 or more days of the week
• have not had at least one heavy drinking episode (5+ for men, 4+ for women) in the past month.