This application proposes development of an interactive multimedia program called, """"""""On the Air: A Smoking Education Program for Alcoholics,"""""""" designed to reduce smoking of clients in alcohol treatment. The program will be offered through inpatient, residential and outpatient treatment programs to help those struggling with alcohol addiction to understand, reduce and stop smoking. The program utilizes multimedia technology to tailor intervention material to clients' stage of change with respect to smoking. Based on the metaphor of a television network, users are able to access their own personal """"""""channel"""""""" broadcasting a selection of """"""""shows,"""""""" each of which represents an entertaining, educational oriented intervention tailored to the user's stage-of-change, concerns about smoking and smoking cessation, and other key variables. Phase I involved the gathering of feedback from interviews, focus groups with professionals, interviews with experts, and acceptance and satisfaction testing to develop the """"""""On the Air"""""""" prototype. Phase II will involve the completion of the """"""""On the Air"""""""" CD-ROM, acceptance and satisfaction testing, and implementation of a comprehensive field test of the program. If """"""""On the Air"""""""" were shown to demonstrably increase clients' motivation to actively quit smoking, the national commercial potential would be significant.

Proposed Commercial Applications

The proposed program will provide a targeted, computer-administered intervention to facilitate smoking cessation for alcoholic clients. Despite extremely high proportions of alcoholics who smoke (as much as 90%), and the growing evidence of addictive and even synergistic health consequences of abusing both alcohol and tobacco, few alcohol treatment programs directly address client smoking. Limited financial and staff resources and a general lack of reimbursement for smoking interventions are some of the barriers to integrating smoking cessation efforts into ongoing treatment programs. If a computerized, affordable smoking cessation program can be shown, in field trials, to have demonstrable efficacy, the commercial potential can be extraordinary.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
2R44DA080460-02A1
Application #
6298468
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-D (01))
Program Officer
Grossman, Debra
Project Start
1999-05-01
Project End
2003-07-31
Budget Start
2001-08-05
Budget End
2002-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$593,515
Indirect Cost
Name
Inflexxion, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Newton
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02464