Fehring

Researchers are investigating the effects of smoking cessation on individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) who are receiving long-term drug therapy in a therapeutic community setting. Smoking is a major preventable cause of death and is common among people with SUD, worsening their physical and mental health. This study is a randomized controlled trial aiming to explore how quitting smoking influences emotional regulation, self-confidence, craving for substances, as well as metabolic and gut microbiome changes related to brain reward systems. Participants will be divided into groups where one group will take part in a six-week cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) smoking cessation program held within the therapeutic community. This program includes weekly group sessions with education about tobacco addiction, health risks, relapse prevention, craving management, motivation building, and behavioral observation. All participants, including those in the control group, will receive standard long-term drug therapy consisting of weekly group therapy, individual psychotherapy, social worker counseling, psychiatric consultations, and therapies like sports, art, and work therapy. Throughout the study, researchers will collect blood and stool samples to analyze metabolic and microbiome markers. Psychological assessments will be done using questionnaires, and behavioral outcomes such as smoking behavior, self-efficacy, substance craving, and tobacco dependence will be measured from enrollment through a three-month follow-up after the treatment period. The study involves 150 participants, including 100 with SUD undergoing the intervention or control treatment, and 50 healthy adults as a non-interventional comparison group.