Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have increased in usage among teens while regular smoking has decreased, according to the annual drug survey by the National Institutes of Health.

This year’s Monitoring the Future survey found that 8.7 percent of eighth-graders have used an e-cigarette in the past-month, while 1.4 percent have used a traditional cigarette. Among 10th graders, 16.2 percent have used an e-cigarette; 3.2 percent have used a traditional cigarette. 17.1 percent high school seniors have used a e-cigarette, while 6.7 have used a traditional cigarette.

This is the first year that the Monitoring the Future survey has measured electronic cigarette usage in teens.

"Despite the positive developments this year, we are concerned about the levels of e-cigarette use among teens that we are seeing,” said Lloyd D. Johnston, Ph.D., principal investigator, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. “It would be a tragedy if this product undid some of the great progress made to date in reducing cigarette smoking by teens."

For other drugs, the findings varied. The use of marijuana stayed the same, while the use cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription drugs decreased.