NEW YORK (AP) – A new government study suggests the number of U.S. adults who have tried electronic cigarettes may be leveling off.
The proportion of adults who have ever used e-cigarettes rose from about 3 percent to 8 percent from 2010 to 2012. But there was no significant change last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
The study’s conclusions seem to parallel a modest decline in e-cigarette sales during the same period that have been noted in analyst reports.
The findings come from an annual survey of thousands of adults. It has been the CDC’s only source on e-cigarette trends since the devices started selling in the U.S. in late 2006.
E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that produce an odorless vapor that typically contains nicotine, and sometimes flavorings. They are often described as a less dangerous alternative to regular cigarettes, one that may help smokers quit.