Washington, Sept 15 : A study has found that electronic cigarettes are becoming the choice of many long-term smokers.

E-cigs typically consist of a cigarette-shaped device with a battery, a heating element and a cartridge containing propylene glycol and nicotine. Users puff on the mouthpiece to activate a circuit that heats the atomizer and produces a vapour. The users then inhale.

But Penn State College of Medicine researchers suggest medical providers should continue to encourage more traditional smoking cessation methods.

The researchers investigated this growing phenomenon through a survey of 104 long-term e-cigarette users.

The study found that 78 percent of long-term users were no longer using tobacco and planned on using their e-cig instead, and only 8 percent were using the most widely marketed style of cigarette-shaped e-cigs.

Most had learned that these do not deliver adequate nicotine and had used online forums and personal experience to find out which types of e-cigs deliver a satisfying effect capable of keeping them off real cigarettes.

"These products initially seemed to be something of a gimmick and likely to be banned by the FDA," Jonathan Foulds, Ph. D., professor of public health sciences and psychiatry, said.

"However, they are continuing to be popular and at least some smokers appear to find them helpful. However, we just don''t have enough information on their long-term safety and effectiveness for clinicians to recommend them.

"Until that research has been carried out, I would advise smokers to use proven treatments.

"The treatments that have been proven to work include counselling (e. g. available for free via 1-800-QUIT NOW), nicotine replacement, bupropion or varenicline," he stated.

An additional problem with e-cigarettes, Foulds said, is that there appears to be poor quality control.

Some sold as "high nicotine" appear to deliver very little nicotine, and there are concerns about the quality of the labelling and instructions.

The findings were reported in a recent issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice. (ANI)