A study on the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizers in the European Union determined that nonsmokers rarely use them and that 67 percent of smokers who do use them either quit or smoked fewer traditional cigarettes.

The study, with researcher Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos of the University of Patras in Greece serving as principal investigator, involved 27,460 EU residents at least 16 years of age. It included representatives from all 28 member states.

The study was published in the journal Addiction, which has a focus on the potential harm-reduction elements of e-cigs and vaporizers.

“E-cigarette use in the European Union appears to be largely confined to current or former smokers, while current use and nicotine use by people who have never smoked is rare,” researchers said in their conclusion. Rare, in this instance, represented 2.3 percent of nonsmoking study participants.

According to the researchers, 35.1 percent of current e-cigarette users said they had stopped smoking regular cigarettes because of the devices, while another 32.2 percent reported smoking less.