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E-Cigarettes Becoming More Common Among Smokers Trying To Quit

A new University of Louisville study found that smokers who are trying to quit are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes to help them quit. Going cold turkey and seeking support from family and friends also ranked high among quit methods. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

A new study suggests smokers are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes over other tools to help them quit.

The University of Louisville study provides a snapshot of what smokers and former smokers used to try to kick the habit, but it's not necessarily a measure of how effective those methods are.

With that said, the results are interesting. Easily the most common tool smokers used was no tool at all. They went cold turkey. Many also used support from family and friends to help them quit.

But e-cigarettes were also common aids, used more often than other smoking cessation products like gum, patches or prescription drugs.

The study is part of an increasing body of evidence that suggests smokers are turning to e-cigarettes as either a replacement for traditional smokes or as a way to quit.

But there is still conflicting data on exactly how safe those electronic alternatives are.

Sean Bueter joined WFDD in August 2015 as a reporter covering issues across the Piedmont Triad and beyond.Previously, Sean was a reporter, host and news director at WBOI in Fort Wayne, Ind., just a few hours from where he grew up. He also sorted Steve Inskeep's mail as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C.Sean has experience on a variety of beats, including race, wealth and poverty, economic development, and more. His work has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and APM's Marketplace.In his spare time, Sean plays tennis (reasonably well), golf (reasonably poorly), and scours local haunts for pinball machines to conquer.

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