Anxiety sensitivity and cigarette use on cannabis use problems, perceived barriers for cannabis cessation, and self-efficacy for quitting among adults with cannabis use disorder.

Many individuals diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD) report a desire to quit using cannabis due to problems associated with use. Yet, successful abstinence is difficult for a large subset of this population. Thus, the present study sought to elucidate potential risk factors for cannabis use problems, perceived barriers for quitting, and diminished self-efficacy for remaining abstinent. Specifically, this investigation examined cigarette user status, anxiety sensitivity, and the interplay between these individual difference factors in terms of cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers for cannabis cessation, and self-efficacy for quitting cannabis use. The sample consisted of 132 adult cannabis users who met criteria for CUD and were interested in quitting (38 % female; 63.6 % Black; Mage = 37.22; SDage = 28.79; 54.6 % current tobacco users). Findings revealed a significant interaction, such that anxiety sensitivity was related to cannabis use problems and perceived barriers for cannabis cessation among current cigarette users, but not among cigarette non-users. There was no significant interaction for self-efficacy for remaining abstinent. The current findings suggest that cigarette users constitute a subgroup that may be especially vulnerable to the effects of anxiety sensitivity in terms of cannabis use problems and perceived barriers for quitting cannabis use.

Worry and e-cigarette cognition: The moderating role of sex.

As electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use continues to rise, it is important to identify individual characteristics that may influence e-cigarette use behavior and potential group-level moderators of effects, such as sex. Initial evidence has suggested that worry, defined as excessive, unrealistic thoughts focused on the possibility of future negative events, may contribute to e-cigarette use behavior. Yet, how these established relations differ across groups, such as male and female e-cigarette users, has not been explored. The present study evaluated the effect of worry on perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes, perceptions of benefits for e-cigarette use, and perceived negative consequences of e-cigarette use across sex. The sample included 584 current e-cigarette users (52.2% female, Mage = 35.15 years, SD = 10.27). Analyses indicated a significant interaction between sex and worry on each criterion variable (perceived benefits: b = 0.02, SE = 0.01, t = -2.73, p = .01; perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes: b = -0.45, SE = 0.08, t = -5.70, p ≤ 0.001; negative consequences to use: b = -0.033, SE = 0.01, t = -4.50, p < .001), such that worry was more strongly related to each outcome among males than females. These findings suggest that sex plays a role in e-cigarette use behaviors and that males may constitute a group that is especially vulnerable to the effects of worry on both positive and negative e-cigarette use perceptions and perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes.

Anxiety, depression, and opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain: the role of emotion dysregulation.

The opioid epidemic is a significant public health concern in the United States, particularly among adults with chronic pain. Considerable research suggests that people with mental health problems, including anxiety and depression, may experience more opioid-related problems in the context of chronic pain. Yet, little work has examined potential mechanisms underyling these relations. Emotion dysregulation is one mechanistic factor that may link anxiety and depression and opioid-related problems among persons with chronic pain. Therefore, the current study examined the explanatory role of emotion dysregulation in the cross-sectional relationship between anxiety and depression problems and current opioid misuse and severity of opioid dependence among 431 adults with chronic pain who reported currently using opioid medications (74% female, Mage=38.32 years, SD = 11.11). Results indicated that emotion dysregulation explained, in part, the relationship between anxiety and depression symptoms and opioid-related problems. These findings highlight the need to further consider the role of emotion dysregulation among adults with chronic pain who use prescription opioids and experience symptoms of anxiety or depression. Future prospective research will be needed to further establish emotion dysregulation as a mechanism in anxiety/depression-opioid misuse/dependence processes.

Racial and gender inequities in the implementation of a cannabis criminal justice diversion program in a large and diverse metropolitan county of the USA.

BACKGROUND: Diversion programs are considered alternatives to the arrest and incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, including those found in possession of smaller amounts of cannabis in states with prohibitive laws. Despite the progressive nature of such programs, the inability to complete diversion program requirements can often result in greater involvement with the criminal justice system than traditional case adjudication. Few studies have evaluated racial group differences in cannabis diversion program completion. METHODS: The current study examined a sample of 8323 adult participants in Harris County, Texas' Marijuana Misdemeanor Diversion Program (MMDP) between March 2017 and July 2019. Gender, age, and race/ethnicity were examined as predictors of program completion and time to completion using Chi square, Kruskal Wallis tests, and Cox proportional hazard regression models. RESULTS: Both males and African Americans were over-represented (80 % and 50 %, respectively) among participants of Harris County's MMDP. African American (HR = 0.782, 95 % CI [.735-.832], p < .001) and Latino American MMDP participants (HR = .822, 95 % CI [.720-.937], p = .003) had significantly lower odds of MMDP completion and a longer interval to program completion as compared to non-Latino White participants. CONCLUSIONS: The current study identified racial/ethnic and gender disparities in a large county's cannabis diversion program. These findings may be related to law enforcement disparities which disproportionately target males and people of color. Findings may serve to inform the continued reform of the criminal justice system, particularly laws relating to cannabis.

Current cannabis use and smoking cessation among treatment seeking combustible smokers.

INTRODUCTION: Combustible tobacco smoking and cannabis use frequently occur together, and the use of both substances is associated with overall greater severity of tobacco and cannabis related problems. Observational work has found that cannabis use is associated with tobacco cessation failure, but research directly testing the longitudinal associations of cannabis use on tobacco cessation during smoking cessation treatment is lacking. The current study examined the impact of current cannabis use on combustible tobacco cessation outcomes. METHODS: 207 daily combustible tobacco smokers (Mage = 38.24 years, SD = 14.84, 48.1 % male) were enrolled in a randomized controlled smoking cessation trial. Survival analyses and multi-level modeling were used to assess lapse and relapse behavior through 12-week follow up. The current study is a secondary data analysis. RESULTS: Results of the current study suggest that cannabis use is associated with faster time to lapse (OR = 0.644, se = .188, p = .019), but not relapse (OR = -0.218, se = .403, p = .525), compared to combustible tobacco-only smokers. Additionally, cannabis use was associated with lower likelihood of achieving any 7-day point prevalence abstinence during the 12 week follow up (b = 0.93, se = 0 0.24, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides novel evidence that cannabis use may be related to combustible tobacco use in terms of faster time to lapse and lower likelihood of any 7-day point prevalence abstinence following smoking cessation treatment. Developing integrated cannabis-tobacco cessation treatments is an important next step in research focused on tobacco-cannabis use.

Health Literacy, Opioid Misuse, and Pain Experience Among Adults with Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a significant public health problem that is associated with several negative health outcomes, including increased health care cost, decreased productivity, and prescription opioid misuse. Although efforts have been made to curb the growing opioid epidemic in the United States, further research is needed to better understand individual difference factors that may be associated with greater pain and opioid misuse. Lower levels of health literacy, defined as the ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make important decisions regarding health and medical care, has been associated with several chronic illnesses. Yet little work has examined the relationship between health literacy, pain, and opioid misuse among individuals with chronic pain. METHODS: The current study examined health literacy in relation to current opioid misuse, severity of opioid dependence, pain severity, and pain disability among 445 adults with chronic pain (74.6% female, Mage [SD] = 38.45 [11.06] years). RESULTS: Results indicated that health literacy was significantly negatively associated with each of the criterion variables. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that health literacy may contribute to opioid misuse and pain experience among individuals with chronic pain. Interventions targeting health literacy among individuals with chronic illness may help to address the opioid public health crisis.

Is there a relationship between cannabis use problems, emotion dysregulation, and mental health problems among adults with chronic pain?

Cannabis is often used to manage pain among persons who suffer from chronic pain. Yet, despite much literature suggesting cannabis use problems are associated with mental health problems, little work has examined mechanisms of this relationship among a chronic pain population. Chronic pain is also associated with emotion dysregulation. Individuals with chronic pain who experience cannabis use problems may have less capacity to regulate negative emotions, which could relate to greater anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Thus, the current study explored whether emotion dysregulation explained, in part, the relation between cannabis use problems and anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among adults with chronic pain. Participants were 431 opioid-using adults with current moderate to severe chronic pain, 176 were current cannabis users, of which 30.20% reported cannabis use problems. Results indicated a significant indirect relationship between cannabis use problems and anxiety [95% CI (.03, .05)], depression [95% CI (.03, .06)], and suicidal ideation [95% CI (.01, .01)] via emotion dysregulation. Tests of specificity suggested potential for a bi-directional effect for suicidal ideation (p < .001). Initial findings suggest that emotion dysregulation may be an important mechanism in the relationship between cannabis use problems and mental health among adults with chronic pain.

The Interaction of Alcohol Use and Cannabis Use Problems in Relation to Opioid Misuse Among Adults with Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: The opioid epidemic is a significant public health crisis and prescription opioids are often used to manage chronic pain, despite questionable long-term efficacy. Furthermore, co-substance (mis)use is also common among individuals with chronic pain who use opioids. Alcohol has been consistently used to manage chronic pain, partly due to its acute analgesic properties. Cannabis has also recently garnered attention in the context of pain management, though research examining its efficacy for pain has produced mixed results. Nevertheless, there is accumulating evidence that concurrent substance co-use is positively associated with use and misuse of additional substances, particularly among individuals with chronic pain. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine the main and interactive effects of alcohol use problems and cannabis use problems in relation to opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain who use opioids. METHODS: The current sample was comprised of 440 adults with chronic pain using prescription opioids. Substance use problems were assessed using the ASSIST, Current Opioid Misuse Measure, and the Severity of Dependence Scale. Moderated regressions using the PROCESS macro were utilized. RESULTS: Results indicated that alcohol use problems and cannabis use problems each uniquely related to opioid dependence severity and opioid misuse. The interaction of alcohol and cannabis use problems was uniquely related to only opioid misuse, whereby alcohol use was most strongly associated to opioid misuse among those with higher levels of cannabis use problems. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings suggest there may be utility in assessing and treating alcohol and cannabis use problems among persons with chronic pain who are using opioids for pain management.

Culturally-tailored text-messaging intervention for smoking cessation in rural American Indian communities: Rationale, design, and methods.

BACKGROUND: American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) communities experience disproportionately high rates of tobacco use when compared to the overall U.S. population, especially among rural populations. METHODS: We implemented a single-blind, randomized clinical trial of a text messaging-based smoking cessation intervention through the tobacco quitlines of five states (Alaska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin) with high percentages of AI residents. We partnered with state quitlines and Optum, a multi-state entity that manages quitlines. Participants who called the quitlines and identified as AI/AN were given the option to enroll in this trial. Upon consent, they were randomly assigned to either the standard quitline program (control) or a program culturally tailored for AI/ANs (intervention), which used a text messaging intervention to encourage smoking cessation. We adapted the text messages based on key informant and focus group input. Baseline data was analyzed for differences across age, sex, and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. RESULTS: We recruited n = 487 AIs into the trial. Participants had an average age of 41.9 years (SD = 11.7) and 66% were female. The average Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score was 5.38 (SD = 2.37). The intervention and control arms did not significantly differ across any of the baseline characteristics. CONCLUSION: Implementation of this trial illustrated important lessons in adapting, implementing, and evaluating trials in collaboration with AI communities and local and national organizations. This work will inform future efforts to implement culturally-tailored interventions with AI/ANs and advance our knowledge about adapting and implementing smoking cessation interventions.

Pain Severity and Anxiety Sensitivity Interplay Among Exclusive and Dual Electronic Cigarette Users.

OBJECTIVE: Although electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are an increasingly common form of substance use, there is little understanding of individual differences that may relate to such use. The present investigation examined interactive effects between the cognitive factor of anxiety sensitivity and pain severity in relation to e-cigarette dependence, perceived risks of e-cigarette use, and perceived benefits of e-cigarette use. METHOD: Participants were 319 e-cigarette users (60.5% female, mean age = 36.82 years, SD = 10.62). RESULTS: As expected, the interaction between anxiety sensitivity and pain severity was significantly related to increased e-cigarette dependence, perceived risks of e-cigarette use, and perceived benefits of e-cigarette use. The effects were evident above and beyond the variance accounted for by sex, age, income, education, dual combustible cigarette use, and e-cigarette use frequency. The form of the significant interaction indicated that participants reporting co-occurring higher levels of anxiety sensitivity and pain severity evinced greater e-cigarette dependence, perceived risks of e-cigarette use, and perceived benefits of e-cigarette use. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest there needs to be further study of anxiety sensitivity and pain severity in the context of e-cigarette use, as there may be benefit to screening for and clinically addressing these factors to help offset e-cigarette use.

Understanding quit patterns from a randomized clinical trial: Latent classes, predictors, and long-term abstinence.

OBJECTIVE: Tobacco dependence treatment is recognized as a dynamic, chronic process comprised of several specific phases. Of these phases, the Cessation phase is the most critical as it has demonstrated the strongest relation to quit success. Yet, little is understood about smoking trajectories during this period. The current study aimed to address gaps in the smoking research literature and advance understanding of the dynamic quit process unique to completing an integrated smoking treatment by evaluating quit behavior during the Cessation phase. METHOD: Two hundred and sixty-seven treatment seeking smokers enrolled in a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a novel, integrated smoking cessation treatment (46.1% male; Mage = 39.25, SD = 13.70) were included in the present study. Repeated-measure latent class analysis was employed to evaluate quit patterns from quit day through day 14 post-quit. RESULTS: Results supported a four-class solution: Consistent Quitters, Non-Quitters, Relapsers, and Delayed Quitters. Predictors of class membership included age, number of prior quit attempts, motivation to quit smoking, and quit day smoking urges. Moreover, class membership was significantly associated with 6-month abstinence. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that there are four relevant classes of quit behavior, each with specific predictor variables including age, motivation to quit, smoking urges, and number of quit attempts, and that these classes relate to long-term abstinence. These results have the potential to inform manualized smoking cessation treatment interventions based on relevant subgroups of quit behavior.

Exploring anxiety sensitivity in the relationship between pain intensity and opioid misuse among opioid-using adults with chronic pain.

Opioid misuse is a significant public health problem. Chronic pain is one highly prevalent factor that is strongly associated with increased risk for opioid misuse. Anxiety sensitivity (fear of anxiety related physical sensations) is an individual difference factor consistently linked to pain experience, and separately, heroin use. The present study examined if anxiety sensitivity may be one factor related to the relationship between pain intensity and opioid misuse among opioid-using adults with chronic pain. Results indicated that anxiety sensitivity total score was significantly associated with the relationship between pain intensity and current opioid misuse, as well as pain intensity and severity of opioid dependence. Overall, results suggest that anxiety sensitivity may be an important assessment and intervention target to ultimately reduce the rates of opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain.

Current pain severity and electronic cigarettes: an initial empirical investigation.

The present study examined past-month pain severity in relation to e-cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes, and beliefs about risks associated with using e-cigarettes. Participants were 322 e-cigarette users from the United States (60.2% female, Mage= 36.78 years, SD = 10.62). Results indicated that pain severity was significantly and positively related to e-cigarette dependence, perceived risks of e-cigarette use, and perceived barriers to quitting e-cigarettes. The observed effects were evident above and beyond the variance accounted for by sex, age, education, income, dual cigarette use, frequency of e-cigarette use, and perceived health status. The present study provides novel empirical evidence that pain experience is related to a moderate, yet clinically-meaningful, proportion of the variance in e-cigarette dependence, perceived barriers for quitting e-cigarettes, and beliefs about e-cigarette risks. These findings suggest there is merit to exploring the role of pan experience in the onset and maintenance of e-cigarette use.

Opioid and Cannabis Co-Use among Adults With Chronic Pain: Relations to Substance Misuse, Mental Health, and Pain Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Opioid misuse constitutes a significant public health problem and is associated with a host of negative outcomes. Despite efforts to curb this increasing epidemic, opioids remain the most widely prescribed class of medications. Prescription opioids are often used to treat chronic pain despite the risks associated with use, and chronic pain remains an important factor in understanding this epidemic. Cannabis is another substance that has recently garnered attention in the chronic pain literature, as increasing numbers of individuals use cannabis to manage chronic pain. Importantly, the co-use of substances generally is associated with poorer outcomes than single substance use, yet little work has examined the impact of opioid-cannabis co-use. METHODS: The current study examined the use of opioids alone, compared to use of opioid and cannabis co-use, among adults (n = 450) with chronic pain on mental health, pain, and substance use outcomes. RESULTS: Results suggest that, compared to opioid use alone, opioid and cannabis co-use was associated with elevated anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and sedative use problems, but not pain experience. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight a vulnerable population of polysubstance users with chronic pain, and indicates the need for more comprehensive assessment and treatment of chronic pain.

Differential effect of sex on pain severity and smoking behavior and processes.

Scientific evidence suggests that pain contributes to the maintenance of tobacco cigarette smoking among individuals with varying levels of pain. Yet, little is understood about factors that may moderate relations between pain severity and smoking processes. Considering that women are more likely to experience deleterious pain- and smoking-related outcomes, female smokers may be a particularly vulnerable group when considering pain in the maintenance of maladaptive smoking behavior. Thus, it is important to investigate the role of sex in pain-smoking relations. The current cross-sectional study examined sex differences in the relation between reported levels of pain and cessation-relevant smoking processes (i.e. cigarette dependence, barriers for cessation, and past cessation-related problems). Participants included 100 adult daily cigarette smokers (Mage = 32.57 years, SD = 13.58; 33% female). Results indicated that greater pain was significantly associated with greater cigarette dependence, greater perceived barriers to cessation, and greater cessation-related problems among female, but not male, smokers. The current findings identify sex as a potentially important moderator of complex associations between pain and tobacco smoking and suggests that women may constitute a group that is especially vulnerable to the effects of pain in the maintenance of tobacco dependence. Based on the present data, integrated pain-smoking treatments may be especially useful for female, versus male, smokers.

Predictors of tobacco and alcohol co-use from ages 15 to 32: The Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study.

Tobacco and alcohol are often used in tandem over time, but specific predictors of course and patterns of course over time need explication. We examined differences in alcohol and tobacco course among an adolescent population as they transitioned into young adulthood across a 17-year period. Data came from participants (n = 303 for ages 15-21, n = 196 for ages 21 to 32; 52% female and 54% female, respectively) enrolled in the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study, an epidemiologic investigation examining disease across the life span. We utilized parallel latent growth modeling to assess the impact of sex, personality traits, cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI), on initial status and linear change over time in course of tobacco and alcohol. Females reported less alcohol use at adolescent baseline (ß = -21.79), less increase during adolescence (ß = -7.92, p < .05), slower decrease during young adulthood (ß = 4.67, p < .05), and more rapid decline in tobacco use during young adulthood (ß = -70.85, p < .05), relative to males. Alcohol and tobacco use baseline status' and change over time were all significantly associated with one another during both adolescence and young adulthood (p < .05; aside from alcohol baseline and slope during young adulthood). Effects of BMI, cholesterol, blood pressure, and personality traits were also observed on tobacco and alcohol course. In light of the strong, but sex dependent relationship between alcohol and tobacco course, particularly from ages 15 to 21, prevention efforts to curb heavy alcohol and tobacco use should consider targeting course taking into account biological sex and other notable covariates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Contingency management intervention targeting co-addiction of alcohol and drugs among American Indian adults: Design, methodology, and baseline data.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: American Indian adults have some of the highest alcohol abstinence rates compared to the overall US population. Despite this, many American Indian people are more likely to concurrently use alcohol and illicit drugs and are less likely to participate and remain in outpatient treatment for alcohol and other drug use compared to the general US population. There is limited knowledge about effective interventions targeting alcohol and drug co-addiction among American Indian adults. Contingency management is a behavioral intervention designed to increase drug abstinence by offering monetary incentives in exchange for drug and alcohol negative urine samples. We aim to evaluate and describe a culturally tailored contingency management intervention to increase alcohol and other drug abstinence among American Indian adults residing in a Northern Plains reservation. METHODS: This 2 × 2 factorial, randomized controlled trial currently includes 114 American Indian adults with alcohol and/or drug dependence who are seeking treatment. Participants were randomized into one of four groups that received (1) contingency management for alcohol, (2) contingency management for other drug, (3) contingency management for both substances, or (4) no contingency management for either substance. We present descriptive, baseline data to characterize the sample and describe the modified contingency management approach that is specific to the community wherein this trial was being conducted. RESULTS: The sample is 49.1% male, with an average age of 35.8 years (standard deviation = 10.4 years). At baseline, 43.0% of the sample tested positive for ethyl glucuronide, 50.9% of participants self-reported methamphetamine as their most used drug, 36.8% self-reported cannabis, and 12.3% self-reported prescription opiates as their most used drug. Among randomized participants, 47.4% tested positive for cannabis, 28.1% tested positive for methamphetamine, 16.7% tested positive for amphetamines, and 2.1% tested positive for opiates. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine a culturally tailored contingency management intervention targeting co-addiction of two substances among American Indian adults. By establishing a tribal-university partnership to adapt, implement, and evaluate contingency management, we will increase the literature on evidence-based addiction treatments and research, while improving trust for addiction interventions among American Indian communities through ongoing collaboration. Moreover, results have implications for the use of contingency management as an intervention for co-addiction in any population.

A review of contingency management for the treatment of substance-use disorders: adaptation for underserved populations, use of experimental technologies, and personalized optimization strategies.

This review of contingency management (CM; the behavior-modification method of providing reinforcement in exchange for objective evidence of a desired behavior) for the treatment of substance-use disorders (SUDs) begins by describing the origins of CM and how it has come to be most commonly used during the treatment of SUDs. Our core objective is to review, describe, and discuss three ongoing critical advancements in CM. We review key emerging areas wherein CM will likely have an impact. In total, we qualitatively reviewed 31 studies in a systematic fashion after searching PubMed and Google Scholar. We then describe and highlight CM investigations across three broad themes: adapting CM for underserved populations, CM with experimental technologies, and optimizing CM for personalized interventions. Technological innovations that allow for mobile delivery of reinforcers in exchange for objective evidence of a desired behavior will likely expand the possible applications of CM throughout the SUD-treatment domain and into therapeutically related areas (eg, serious mental illness). When this mobile technology is coupled with new, easy-to-utilize biomarkers, the adaptation for individual goal setting and delivery of CM-based SUD treatment in hard-to-reach places (eg, rural locations) can have a sustained impact on communities most affected by these disorders. In conclusion, there is still much to be done, not only technologically but also in convincing policy makers to adopt this well-established, cost-effective, and evidence-based method of behavior modification.

Pilot investigation: randomized-controlled analog trial for alcohol and tobacco smoking co-addiction using contingency management.

Contingency management (CM) is associated with decreases in off-target drug and alcohol use during primary target treatment. The primary hypothesis for this trial was that targeting alcohol use or tobacco smoking would yield increased abstinence in the opposite, nontargeted drug. We used a 2 [CM vs. noncontingent control (NC) for alcohol]×2 (CM vs. NC for smoking tobacco) factorial design, with alcohol intake (through urinary ethyl glucuronide) and tobacco smoking (through urinary cotinine) as the primary outcomes. Thirty-four heavy-drinking smokers were randomized into one of four groups, wherein they received CM, or equivalent NC reinforcement, for alcohol abstinence, smoking abstinence, both drugs, or neither drug. The CM for alcohol and tobacco group had only two participants and therefore was not included in analysis. Compared with the NC for alcohol and tobacco smoking group, both the CM for the tobacco smoking group [odds ratio (OR)=12.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.50-96.31] and the CM for the alcohol group (OR=37.55; 95% CI: 4.86-290.17) submitted significantly more tobacco-abstinent urinalyses. Similarly, compared with the NC for the alcohol and tobacco group, both the CM for smoking (OR=2.57; 95% CI: 1.00-6.60) and the CM for alcohol groups (OR=3.96; 95% CI: 1.47-10.62) submitted significantly more alcohol-abstinent urinalyses. These data indicate cross-over effects of CM on indirect treatment targets. Although this is a pilot investigation, it could help to inform the design of novel treatments for alcohol and tobacco co-addiction.

Pilot investigation of a phosphatidylethanol-based contingency management intervention targeting alcohol use.

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can be detected in blood from 14 to as many as 28 days after alcohol consumption, depending on the amount and frequency of alcohol consumed. PEth may have utility for verifying abstinence in a contingency management (CM) intervention for alcohol use, particularly in settings where frequent verification of abstinence is impossible or impractical. Five nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers (40% men) participated in an 11-week, ABA-phased within-subject experiment for which they submitted blood spots for PEth measurement, urine samples for ethyl glucuronide (EtG) testing, and self-report drinking data weekly. Participants received reinforcers for submitting samples throughout the A phases. During the B phase (CM phase), they received additional reinforcers when their PEth level was reduced from the previous week and was verified by a negative EtG (<150 ng/ml) urine test and self-report. PEth, EtG, and self-report outcomes were compared between A phases (Weeks 1-3, 8-11) and B phases (Weeks 4-7). During the A phases, 23% of PEth results indicated alcohol abstinence, whereas 53% of PEth samples submitted during the CM (B phase) indicated alcohol abstinence. Participants were more likely to submit EtG-negative urine samples and report lower levels of drinking and heavy drinking during the B phase, relative to the A phases. We also explored the ability of PEth to detect self-reported drinking. The combined PEth homologs (16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2) predicted self-reported drinking with area under the curve from 0.81 (1 week) to 0.80 (3 weeks). Results support the initial feasibility of a Peth-based CM intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record