An advocacy group associated with the American Cancer Society is asking the FDA to re-examine the safety of electronic cigarettes and whether they can actually help people quit.

"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," Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), said in a statement.

Hansen pointed to an ad from Arizona-based NJOY, which ran during the Oscars.

"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," according to Hansen.

ACS-CAN's request comes in the wake of a study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which found an increased awareness of e-cigarettes. In 2010, about 40.9 percent of those surveyed on the Web were aware of e-cigarettes; that jumped to 57.9 percent in 2011. About 3.3 percent used e-cigarettes in 2010, a number that increased to 6.2 percent in 2011.

According to the FDA, e-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that turn nicotine and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

Between 2008 and 2010, the FDA found that e-cigarettes "were unapproved drug/device combination products," and prevented companies like Sottera (which markets the NJOY electronic cigarettes) from importing them. Sottera sued and the court found that e-cigarettes and other products made or derived from tobacco are not drugs/devices unless they are marketed for therapeutic purposes, but suggested they be regulated as "tobacco products" under the Tobacco Control Act of 2009.

The FDA lost on appeal, but ultimately decided not to fight that decision any further and agreed to "comply with the jurisdictional lines established by Sottera," the agency said.

That Tobacco Control Act, however, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to consider new nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) - like gums, patches, and lozenges. Earlier this year, HHS solicited comment on possible additions to the list of approved NRTs. E-cigarette advocates pushed supporters to demand that the gadgets be added to that list. More on that is expected in April.

In January, meanwhile, Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives (CASAA), backed a White House petition that asked the administration to stop the FDA from regulating or banning the sale and use of electronic cigarettes, accessories, and associated liquids. At the time of its posting, White House petitions required 25,000 signatures for an official response (they now require 100,000) and it topped that with 27,638 supporters. It's unclear if the White House has issued its response yet.

The issue is not limited to the U.S., meanwhile. Officials in Australia and the U.K. have also been examining how to classify e-cigarettes, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

For more, see Quit Smoking With E-Cigarettes.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

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