"I've learned that I'm open-minded to this possibility": A qualitative study to evaluate the acceptability of a psilocybin-aided smoking cessation treatment for people with HIV who smoke.
Addiction science & clinical practice July 21, 2025 Patricia A Cioe, Garrett S Stang, Danish Azam et al. 1 citation
People with HIV (PWH) smoke cigarettes at high rates (40–70%) and often struggle to quit with standard treatments, partly due to anxiety and depression. Psilocybin, a psychedelic designated as breakthrough therapy by the FDA, has shown promise for psychiatric symptoms and substance use disorders, including tobacco dependence; a pilot study reported 80% smoking abstinence at 6 months among people who had previously been unable to quit. In qualitative interviews with 25 PWH who smoke, five themes emerged: varied prior psilocybin experiences, uncertainty about its effects and side effects, need for trusted information and testimonials, willingness to try psilocybin-assisted therapy for tobacco treatment, and importance of the setting. Psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation treatment appears acceptable to PWH who smoke, though concerns must be addressed before it can be incorporated into clinical services.