A new study suggests that e-cigarettes may not be as addictive as traditional cigarettes. Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine surveyed more than 3500 people who used either electronic or regular cigarettes.
Most of the e-cigarette users had been cigarette smokers. The study showed they were less likely to consider themselves addicted to e-cigarettes, to have strong cravings, or to feel like they really needed the devices.
All of the study participants were considered dependent due to their regularity of use. But the study’s lead author, Guodong Lui, assistant professor of public health sciences, said the findings indicated that e-cigarette users were relatively less dependent than cigarette users.
“No doubt about it, e-cigarettes are addictive, but not at the same level as traditional cigarettes,” Liu said.
The study participants will be surveyed on an ongoing basis to see if experimental e-cigarette users eventually are converted to regular cigarette users.
The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Tobacco Products
