NORWICH – With the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) growing in popularity, local tobacco free advocates are rebuking the device as equally harmful to health as the real deal.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke real cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking than students who do not use e-cigarettes. What's more, they're likely to smoke heavily, say researchers.

This and similar studies are starting to raise eyebrows among healthcare professionals about the role of electronic cigarettes and how they might lead to a smoking addiction, said Tobacco Free Chenango Coordinator James Mutabiilwa.

“This is not a product that is being portrayed as safe in any means,” said Mutabiilwa, citing state law that prohibit sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18. “E-cigarettes still have a nicotine product that gets people addicted and I think that leads them to smoking real cigarettes later on.”

The recent study also raises concerns over the marketing of e-cigarettes, which has drawn the attention of state and federal legislators who argue the device is a gateway to conventional smoking. Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced co-sponsorship of the “Protecting Children from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014,” a bill that would prohibit marketing of e-cigarettes to children.