RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Increased awareness and use of electronic cigarettes in the U.S. outlined in a study released Thursday highlights the need for government regulation and evaluation, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s office on smoking and health said.

Nearly six in 10 adults in the U.S. are aware of the battery-powered devices that heat a liquid nicotine solution and create vapor that users inhale, according the first study to assess the change in awareness and use of electronic cigarettes on a national level. The CDC report published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research also said about one in five current smokers reported having used an electronic cigarette.