Testing oral nicotine pouches versus nicotine replacement therapy for cigarette harm reduction in Appalachia: The ARISE study protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Background

With the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the country, rural Appalachia has experienced a decades-long health decline, due in part to high smoking rates. Cigarette smoking prevalence exceeds 30% in much of the region. Oral nicotine pouches (ONPs), which contain nicotine but no tobacco, present an unexplored opportunity to reduce cigarette smoking and cancer incidence.

Objectives

We outline the protocol for the Appalachian Research to Impact Smoking's Effects (ARISE) study, a randomized controlled trial to determine whether ONPs affect cigarette smoking patterns short- and long-term, and to evaluate their abuse liability versus nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in a large sample of Appalachian smokers (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06763536).

Methods

SUBMITTER: Wermert A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12725661 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature