Electronic cigarettes, often called e-cigarettes, were invented partly as a way to help smokers kick their habits—or at least engage in it a little more safely—but new evidence suggests these e-cigarettes actually may be enticing a growing number of teens to smoke them.

According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, the number of teens who’ve tried e-cigarettes more than doubled in a year—from 3.3 percent in 2011 to 6.8 percent last year. The number of teens who regularly use e-cigarettes also nearly doubled.

So while rates of smoking technically are shrinking, there are approximately 1.78 million teens in middle school and high school who are using these e-cigarettes. More than three-fourths of those who use electronic smokes also use conventional cigarettes.

“The increased used of e-cigarettes by teens is deeply troubling,” says Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes.” (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife Wendy and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.