Team IMPACT's Ongoing & Past Studies

Alternative Tobacco Products

ESCAPE

PI: Dr. Tracy Smith

ESCAPE (Evaluating the Success of flavored e-Cigarettes for Achieving Prolonged smoking abstinencE) is co-led by Dr. Smith and Dr. Theodore Wagener at Ohio State University. ESCAPE is a NIDA and FDA-funded nationwide clinical trial which will investigate the impact of e-cigarette flavoring on switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes among current cigarette smokers.

People who currently smoke cigarettes (N=1500) will be recruited nationally and will receive 12 weeks of e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy. Participants will try to switch completely to their assigned product and will complete regular remote data assessments.

This study is ongoing with an expected end date of 04/2028. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

Switch or Quit

PI: Dr. Tracy Smith

Switch or Quit investigates the potential for e-cigarettes to reduce the harms from tobacco among people who have tried to quit with FDA-approved pharmacotherapy and were unable to do so. People who currently smoke cigarettes (N=225) will be recruited statewide and receive either 9 weeks of e-cigarette product or 9 weeks of FDA approved medication.

People who receive medication will choose between nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline. Participants will set a date on which they plan to stop smoking completely and use their assigned products instead. Participants will complete regular phone calls and daily diaries throughout the study.

This study is ongoing with an expected end date of 05/2027. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

DUET

PI: Dr. Matthew Carpenter

DUET (Dual Use Evaluation and Tracking) is a newly NIH/NIDA-funded trial to examine the trends of exclusively combustible cigarette use, exclusively electronic cigarette use, and dual use. Dual use is known as the co-use of both electronic cigarettes and combustible cigarettes together.

Participants in all three cohorts will be asked to complete several diaries and surveys over the course of a year regarding their smoking habits, so researchers can further understand the natural patterns of use across all groups.

This study is ongoing with an expected end date of 01/2029. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

Cigarette Regulation

MINT

PI: Dr. Tracy Smith

MINT (Menthol’s Impact on Nicotine and Tobacco use) is a NIDA and FDA-funded R01 to examine the impact of menthol regulation in cigarettes and e-cigarettes among people who currently smoke menthol cigarettes. People who currently smoke menthol cigarettes in Charleston, Florence, and Lancaster, SC will receive either menthol or non-menthol cigarettes and menthol or tobacco flavored e-cigarettes for six weeks.

During the trial, participants will be asked to only use cigarettes and e-cigarettes provided to them by the study, although there is no requirement to use either product. Participants will try to stop using cigarettes during the seventh week.

This study is ongoing with an expected end date of 08/2027. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

Smoking Cessation

ADAPT

PIs: Drs. Tracy Smith and Matthew Carpenter

ADAPT (Adaptive Directions after Pharmacotherapy Treatment) is a newly funded trial from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It will examine different options for treatment. All smokers will be given an FDA-approved medication to help them quit.

Depending on early response to treatment, they will either get more of this same medication, another medication, or a harm-reduction product (e-cigarette). The study will recruit 544 adult smokers across South Carolina and Alabama.

This study is ongoing with an expected end date of 03/2028. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

Past Studies

STARS

PI: Dr. Matthew Carpenter

STARS (Smoking Treatment and Remote Sampling) is an NCI-funded R01 that examines the impact of varenicline vs. NRT vs. no medication sampling. Study participants (N=640) are adult smokers across South Carolina who do and do not want to quit. Participants are given a month supply of medication (or not) and are prospectively followed for six months to evaluate outcomes. This study has reached its enrollment goal and is now in the data analysis phase.

This study ended 04/2025. Results are usually available within 9 to 12 months after that, so come back to this site to learn more about this study.

K01

PI: Dr. Tracy Smith

This trial investigates the impact of different e-cigarette device characteristics on reinforcement value, e-cigarette uptake, and downstream effects on cigarette smoking. Smokers (N=180) are recruited locally and will receive an e-cigarette and e-liquid for 3 weeks. The e-cigarette will either have a higher or lower device wattage, and the e-liquid will either have a higher or lower nicotine concentration. Participants sample the product in the lab and then take it home for 3 weeks to use as they wish. Participants return to the lab weekly to receive more e-liquids. There is no requirement to quit or change smoking.

CONNECT

PI: Dr. Matthew Carpenter

CONNECT (Clinical Outcomes for a Nationwide, Naturalistic E-Cigarette Trial) is a NCI-funded R01 that examines uptake, patterns of use, biomarkers, and behavioral consequences of sampling an e-cigarette (vs. not). Smokers (N=660; n=120 subset for biomarker collection) are recruited nationally and locally, and randomized to receive a tank-style e-cigarette device, vs. not, for self-determined use over 1 month, with prospective follow-up through 6 months. The study is now done, and the results are now in. We’re hoping to get this study published soon, and once we do, come back for an update.