June 22, 2010 - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center announced today that it is launching a new online study to help people quit smoking. The study, called WebQuit, is enrolling adult smokers nationwide. Participation is free to eligible individuals. The goal of WebQuit is to improve the effectiveness of online smoking-cessation programs. Study director Jonathan Bricker, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who specializes in smoking-cessation research, says that online smoking-cessation programs are improving but still have a very long way to go. “I think web-based interventions are the wave of the future, not only because they are generally cheaper than personal therapy but because as a culture we are becoming more reliant on the convenient do-it-yourself options we find online.”

“Our goal is to try to find what works and what doesn’t, what to include in these programs and how to improve them so they can become more effective,” said Bricker, also a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington.

To enroll in the WebQuit study or for more information, please visit www.webquit.com

For more information:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/want-to-quit-smoking-study-seeks-adult-smokers-nationwide-for-a-free-online-smoking-cessation-study-96402214.html