Implementing a Scalable Smoke-free Home Intervention in Armenia and Georgia

Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure represent critical health disparities in low- and middle-income countries; Armenia and Georgia represent the 11th and 6th highest smoking rates in men globally (51.5% and 55.5%, respectively), but have low rates of smoking in women (1.8% and 7.8%) and few smoke-free homes (38.6%), which can reduce secondhand smoke exposure and tobacco use rates. This study builds on ongoing collaborations between George Washington University, Emory, and national public health organizations in Armenia and Georgia and advancements in local public health infrastructure; it aims to adapt an evidence-based smoke-free home intervention for homes in Armenia and Georgia, develop capacity to deliver the intervention via local community partners and the national quitlines, and test the intervention in a hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized clinical trial. This work will advance the knowledge base informing strategies to reduce global tobacco-related disparities, as well as the implementation and scale-out of evidence-based interventions in low- and middle-income countries.