A Single-Arm, Open-Label, Pilot, and Feasibility Study of a High Nicotine Strength E-Cigarette Intervention for Smoking Cessation or Reduction for People With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Who Smoke Cigarettes.

Introduction:
This text discusses a single-arm, open-label, pilot study investigating the feasibility of using a new-generation high strength nicotine e-cigarette to modify smoking behavior in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who smoke cigarettes. The study aimed to determine the feasibility of delivering the intervention in practice and how to proceed with testing the intervention in a future, larger study. The reader will learn about the study design, major points, and the main message of the research regarding the potential benefits and considerations of using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Key Points:

* The study involved 40 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who smoked cigarettes but did not intend to reduce or quit smoking.
* Participants were given a 12-week supply of a JUUL e-cigarette loaded with a 5% nicotine pod.
* The primary outcome was smoking cessation at week 12, with secondary outcomes including smoking reduction, continuous abstinence at week 24, adoption rate, adherence to the e-cigarette, feasibility, acceptability, and subjective effects.
* Sixteen participants (40%) quit smoking by the end of week 12, with 37/40 (92.5%) of participants achieving an overall, sustained 50% reduction in smoking or smoking abstinence.
* The study also found a significant 75% reduction in median cigarettes per day from 25 to six by the end of the 12 weeks.
* No serious adverse events were reported, and participants showed improvements in blood pressure, heart rate, and weight during the study.
* The authors suggest that further research with a larger sample and a comparator group is needed to confirm the results.

Main Message:
The study suggests that a high strength nicotine e-cigarette has the potential to help people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders to quit or reduce smoking. The results provide useful information to augment the existing body of knowledge on smoking cessation for this group. However, the authors emphasize that further research is necessary to establish the long-term efficacy and safety of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool for people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Caponnetto P, DiPiazza J, Kim J, Maglia M, Polosa R. A Single-Arm, Open-Label, Pilot, and Feasibility Study of a High Nicotine Strength E-Cigarette Intervention for Smoking Cessation or Reduction for People With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Who Smoke Cigarettes. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(7):1113-1122. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntab005