Use of Electronic Cigarettes in US Doubles: CDC

A latest finding according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the number of U.S. adult smokers who tried electronic cigarettes have doubled.

According to the 2011 statistics, nearly 21 percent of those who smoke the traditional cigarettes have used e-cigarettes, which has doubled since 2010, where only 10 percent took to e-cigarettes.

This is the first study that reports the changes in the awareness of e-cigarettes.

The use of e-cigarette is growing quickly. A lot has to be known about these products. It is still unclear whether the use of this will increase or decrease the use of traditional cigarettes, CDC director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH said in a press statement.

They noticed a rise in both the sexes, non-Hispanic whites, adults between the age 45-54, those residing in the South and the current and former smokers.

During 2010-2011, the use was e-cigarette was more among the current smokers than the former smokers.

The awareness of e-cigarettes had increased from four in 10 adults in the year 2010, while in the year 2011, the number grew to six. Six out of 10 adults were aware of e-cigarettes.

According to the researchers, though e-cigarettes contain fewer toxins when compared to the traditional cigarettes, a further study has to be conducted to mark the long-term impact on health.

"If large numbers of adult smokers become users of both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes - rather than using e-cigarettes to quit cigarettes completely - the net public health effect could be quite negative," Tim McAfee, MD MPH, director of the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC said in a press statement.