Electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or vaping are growing in popularity — and researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Mayo Clinic have been working with the Air Force for the past 10 years looking at tobacco use in the military. The jury is still out on how effective e-cigarettes are at helping people quit smoking. Some research has found that using e-cigarettes increased the odds of quitting, but they could not determine if e-cigarettes were better than nicotine patches. Unlike e-cigarettes, the nicotine patch is regulated by the FDA and is known to be safe, well-tolerated and effective for helping people quit smoking. A new study, Freedom Smoking Quitline, to help more service members quit for good, is a free telephone-based program that includes nicotine patches or gum. It is currently open to all DoD (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines & Coast Guard) TRICARE Beneficiaries, including active duty, dependents and retirees. For more information, visit Freedom Smoking Quitline, call 1-844-426-3733 or email freedomql@uthsc.edu.