WASHINGTON, D.C. February 28, 2013 Awareness and use of electronic cigarettes, commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, significantly increased between 2010 and 2011, according to survey results released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). The survey results, published in an article entitled Awareness and Ever Use of Electronic Cigarettes Among U.S. Adults, 2010-2011, are featured in the current issue of the CDC journal, Nicotine & Tobacco Research. The survey found that the number of adults who are aware of e-cigarettes increased by 44.8 percent from 2010 to 2011, the number of adults who use them rose by 88 percent and use more than doubled among current smokers to 21.2 percent. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has the authority to regulate tobacco products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, has not asserted its jurisdiction over these products. A statement from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) follows: The dramatic increase in both awareness and use of e-cigarettes adds even more urgency to the need for the FDA to regulate these products so it can determine what ingredients e-cigarettes contain, how they are being used and what effects they have on users. E-cigarettes have not been scientifically shown to be effective tobacco cessation tools, yet some distributors are marketing them either directly or indirectly for that purpose, such as in a national commercial that aired during the Oscars awards show this week. E-cigarettes are often manufactured to resemble traditional cigarettes, and are available in fruit and candy flavors that are appealing to youth. The familiar appearance and enticing flavors could actually encourage kids to try traditional cigarettes, rather than avoid them. ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society are anti-smoking, not anti-smoker. We 're calling on the FDA to determine if e-cigarettes are safe for use and whether they can help youth and adults avoid actual cigarettes or quit the habit. We also urge the FDA to test these products to determine their potential as cessation aids so consumers have the best information available when deciding how to quit. ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lauren Walens or Steven Weiss American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Phone: (202) 661-5763 or (202) 661-5711 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] #ecigarettes #FDA #CDC #tobacco #smoking #cancer #lungcancer #cessation