British health officials on Wednesday reported the results of a government-funded study concluding that the use of electronic cigarettes can reduce the health risks of smoking by 95 percent and may also help smokers quit the habit.

The study, issued by the government agency Public Health England, also found little evidence that consumers who had never smoked before were adopting e-cigarettes in large numbers. Some researchers expressed concerns that young people would use the devices as a gateway to regular smoking.

It also said that any new regulations adopted in Britain should emphasize the device’s public health benefits.

The new report emphasized that e-cigarette use was not free of risks. But its findings may accelerate the use of electronic cigarettes in Britain. It also could affect a public debate in the United States over whether the devices represent a breakthrough in reducing the death toll exacted by cigarettes or a new vehicle to addict consumers to nicotine.