DASHES
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DASHES (Drugs and Alcohol Service users Help to Exit Smoking)
IRAS ID
314857
Contact name
Fiona Dobbie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Rates of tobacco smoking are significantly higher in groups with problematic drug or alcohol use than the general population. In Scotland, there is no specialised stop smoking service (SSS) for this client group and uptake of existing SSS is low. Existing SSS focus on successful quit attempts. This is in contrast with specialist substance misuse services, where any reduction by the client is seen as beneficial. Evidence shows that the pressure to achieve abstinence quickly is difficult and demotivating for recovering alcohol and substance users and can result in disengagement. This study will develop and test a tailored, trauma informed, harm reduction intervention that will support people recovering from problematic drug or alcohol use to reduce or stop smoking. The intervention will be co-developed with service users, practitioners working in substance misuse services and researchers with experience of designing harm reduction interventions.
The study will comprise of two work packages (WP). WP1 will be a development study, using participatory, peer research methods to work with the target client group and key stakeholders involved in service delivery, commissioning, and policy, to design the service (intervention). WP2 will be a feasibility study, with an embedded process evaluation, where the service will be delivered across NHS Lothian. The feasibility study will test delivery of the intervention protocol and capture data that will enable assessment of whether progression to a future definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT), with an embedded pilot RCT study is merited. (See A13 for fuller description).REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0167
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion