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Press Releases
| Butler Hospital Receives $2.5 Million Research Grant to Identify Most Effective Way for People Recovering from Opiate Addictions to Stop Smoking |
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01/27/09
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The National Institute of Health has awarded a $2.5 million grant to Butler Hospital to investigate the most effective method for people recovering from an opiate addiction to quit smoking. Michael Stein, MD, chief of the General Medicine Research Program at Butler, will direct the research study, which is the only one of its kind in the United States.
Butler Hospital Researchers Can Help You Quit Smoking
“Over 90 percent of individuals recovering from an opiate addiction are also addicted to nicotine, and while they work hard to overcome their addiction to opiates, they very often die of smoking-related illnesses,” explains Dr. Stein. “For this reason,” he adds, “we are seeking to discover the most effective treatment to help a very vulnerable population live longer, healthier lives.”
According to Stein, people recovering from opiate addiction are often reluctant to give up smoking. In addition to providing them help to quit, the study also provides an opportunity for these patients, who often have poor access to new treatment, to receive up-to-date medical care to improve their health
The study will compare the effectiveness of the smoking cessation drug CHANTIX against nicotine-replacement therapy, such as nicotine patches, gum and lozenges. Nicotine replacement products work by replacing nicotine from tobacco with less harmful alternatives, while CHANTIX, which does not contain nicotine, works by blocking nicotine from reaching the nicotine receptors in the brain. The study will be pivotal to understanding the effectiveness of both products.
The study, which takes place over the course of five years, will enroll 600 participants who will receive treatment in the community clinics where they are receiving methadone replacement therapy to maintain their recovery from opiate addiction.
The flagship hospital for Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry, Butler Hospital is a major research center, which has earned a national reputation for its clinical treatment and research in the area of drug, alcohol and nicotine addictions, mood disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory disorders. More information about the new research study and Butler’s services can be obtained by calling 401-455-6265, or by emailing to info@butler.org. |
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