Smoking Cessation with Varenicline and Counseling

The eligibility visit involved the completion of questionnaires, a medical history, and assessments of psychiatric history.²⁸ Eligibility was confirmed by a physician and psychologist who reviewed the intake measures. If eligible, participants were scheduled for a pre-quit session (week 0) during which they received cessation counseling and initiated medication. For the first 12 weeks, all participants received open-label varenicline (Pfizer; Groton, CT) according to FDA approved labeling: Day 1-Day 3 (0.5mg once daily); Day 4–7 (0.5mg twice daily); and Day 8-Day 84 (1.0mg twice daily). All participants received smoking cessation counseling at weeks 1 (target quit date), 4, 8, 12, 14, and 18 by phone or in-person.^{29 (link)} At week 12, ST participants received 12 weeks of placebo pills and ET participants received 12 weeks of varenicline (1.0mg twice daily).