E-cigarette Switching Older Adults

Volunteers will be patients diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have been in medication-based treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) at the University of Maryland Addiction Treatment Center (UMATC) at 1001 W Pratt Street for at least 3 months. The 3-month requirement will help to ensure that patients who enroll in this study have been stabilized on methadone and buprenorphine, which are first-line, evidence-based treatments for OUD.

All procedures associated with this study will be conducted at the UMATC. After completion of brief pre-screen questions to determine eligibility (i.e., age, tobacco use status, and plans to quit smoking), patients will complete a baseline session (BL) and follow-up visits at weeks 2, 6, and 8 lasting between 30-90 minutes each with a total time of participation in the study of approximately 3-4 hours. Each session will include computerized assessments of tobacco and other substance use, health status, mood, and functioning. In addition, patients will be asked to provide a sample of their breath by breathing into a handheld device that measures air breath carbon monoxide levels.

At baseline, participants will be randomly assigned using a number generator to one of two conditions during the baseline session.

• standard, brief advice for motivating patients to quit (including linkage to a smoking cessation phone quitline) or 2) education on tobacco harms and provisions of NJOY Ace e-cigarette (menthol or tobacco flavor depending on patient preference). NJOY Ace e-cigarettes are a consumer product that has been authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Participants will also be given disposable pods prefilled with nicotine. When the pod is empty, the participant will throw it away and replace it with a new pod provided by the study staff. Participants will be asked to use as little or as much of the e-cigarette during their study participation, including choosing not to use the product.

Inclusion criteria

• 50 years or older; currently in treatment for opioid use disorder for at least 3 months
• currently use tobacco (>100 cigarettes in lifetime and smoke every day or some days)
• xpired air CO >8ppm
• does not regularly use e-cigarettes (regular use defined as use in the past month for 2 or more consecutive days)
• not pregnant or breastfeeding

Exclusion criteria

• individuals trying to stop smoking or have a plan to quit smoking
• people age 49 or younger
• people who do not currently smoke tobacco