Today, JAMA Pediatrics published results of a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine that that suggests the use of electronic cigarettes is significantly associated with a progression to traditional cigarette smoking among U.S. adolescents and young adults.

Jonathan Bricker, Ph.D., a psychologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is available to discuss the significance of these findings.

“In the community – among tobacco-control experts – there’s been a lot of debate about whether e-cigs are a gateway to smoking cigarettes. Some people have said no, some people have said yes, some said it didn’t matter. This study says yes, it is a gateway to smoking cigarettes and that makes it a significant study,” said Bricker, an associate member of the Public Health Sciences Division at Fred Hutch.

“Basically, [this study] helps to address an area of great debate. This is the first study to come along with such strong methods,” he said.

About Bricker

Bricker is an expert in an innovative approach called acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, to help people quit smoking. The therapy is delivered via multiple platforms, from group therapy sessions to a web-based tool to smartphone apps.

Preliminary studies show that Bricker’s programs are 50 to 300 percent more effective than traditional quit-smoking approaches. Evidence suggests the ACT model could help adults cope with many other addictions and harmful behaviors.

In addition to acceptance and commitment therapy, Bricker can address all aspects of smoking cessation: motivation to quit, dealing with triggers or urges to smoke, developing a plan of action, relapse prevention, dealing with weight gain concerns, addressing anxiety and depression in the context of quitting smoking, the future of smoking cessation programs and who will need them most in the future.

Bricker has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on a variety of National Institutes of Health-funded research projects and has received $10 million in total federal research funding to study acceptance and commitment therapy. His current research projects include “WebQuit,” a study of Web-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for adult smoking cessation. WebQuit is a free, Internet-based study that's open to adult smokers nationwide who want to quit.

Bricker has published more than 55 peer-reviewed scientific articles, and serves as the senior editor of ADDICTION – the highest impact scientific journal on the topic of substance abuse. Bricker received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Washington, where is is a faculty member.