Testing a Brief Quitline Intervention for Tobacco Cannabis Co-Users: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Tobacco and cannabis co-use is increasingly prevalent, posing challenges for smoking cessation.
• Quitlines serve many callers who also use cannabis, necessitating tailored interventions.
• Heavy cannabis use is common among individuals seeking to quit smoking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored intervention for tobacco and cannabis co-users within US quitlines.
• To assess the impact of the Quitline Check-Up (QLCU) intervention on tobacco abstinence and cannabis use.

Main Methods:

• A randomized pilot study involving 102 tobacco and cannabis co-users recruited from four state quitlines.
• Participants were randomized to receive either treatment as usual (TAU) or the QLCU intervention.
• Outcomes, including tobacco abstinence and cannabis use, were assessed 90 days post-randomization.

Main Results:

• The QLCU intervention demonstrated high feasibility and acceptability among quitline coaches and participants.
• Treatment engagement and satisfaction were high in both the TAU and QLCU groups.
• No significant difference in 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence rates was observed between the QLCU and TAU groups (24.5% vs. 28.6%).

Conclusions:

• The tailored intervention for tobacco and cannabis co-users is feasible and acceptable for delivery in quitline settings.
• Further research is needed to identify which co-users may benefit from tailored interventions for smoking cessation.
• Pragmatic intervention development in real-world settings can accelerate the process of creating effective cessation tools.