France will ban the smoking of electronic cigarettes in public places in a further attempt to battle tobacco use, reported the Daily News.
Health Minister Marisol Touraine announced the electronic cigarette, or e-cig, smoking will no longer be permitted inside public buildings, actual cigarette smoking was only banned in 2007.
Electronic cigarettes give off very little odor, and give the smoker a small puff of tobacco-less vaporized nicotine.
The health concerns associated with e-cig use are growing, Touraine believes it's time to crack down on them and restrict where they can be used and who can buy them.
A report commissioned by the French government stated 50,000 people in the country had switched from cigarettes to e-cigs, or simply picked them up, they recommended a government crackdown.
Experts worry there's not been enough research conducted on the affect e-cigs can have on health.
Another concern associated with e-cigs is that they could make people more tempted to smoke. It could make smokers who are trying to quit more likely to light up a cigarette.
"This is no ordinary product because it encourages mimicking and could promote taking up smoking," Touraine said.
In 2011 U.S citizens e-cig use doubled, now one in five people admit that they have tried them. The total number of adults who have tried them is at six percent.
The expert that conducted the French report did not suggest an overall ban of electronic cigarettes. According to the expert, the e-cig still seems like a healthier alternative to smoking.
E-cigs were invented in China about ten years ago, they use disposable cartridges that contain liquid such as propylene glycol and concentrated nicotine. The cartridges often come in a variety of flavors.
