Office of Primary Care and Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program

Stephen Higgins, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of psychiatry

(SEPTEMBER 10, 2024) News Medical Life Sciences featured a study led by Stephen Higgins, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of psychiatry, showing that flavored e-cigarettes prove more effective than low-nicotine cigarettes alone, offering new hope for those struggling with addiction in high-risk communities.

The study, “Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes in High-Risk Populations: 3 Randomized Clinical Trials,” published in JAMA Network Open, reveals that access to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) with commonly preferred flavors can significantly reduce the frequency of tobacco smoking in adults with psychiatric disorders, opioid use disorder (OUD), and lower educational levels.

This work was also covered in Medical Dialogues