A new California bill looks to ban the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in public places and impose rules that would prohibit minors from buying the product.

E-cigarettes, also known as "vapes" or vapor cigarettes, reportedly pose health threats, drawing growing concern from many. Although the tobacco product allows smokers to smoke without lighting the stick like in traditional cigarettes, they still release nicotine from the heated liquid used.

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Democratic Senator Mark Leno from the said state, the California politician who introduced the bill, said it does not matter whether people are using e-cigarettes or regular cigarettes as it still is a form of nicotine addiction and that it will end up taking lives.

"We're going to see hundreds of thousands of family members and friends die from e-cigarette use just like we did from traditional tobacco use," said Leno.

The bill seeks to add e-cigarettes too the list of tobacco products that would be closely monitored in California. The bill would also ban vaping in workplaces, bars, restaurants and other public places.

It would also impose penalties on those who are caught selling e-cigarettes to minors.

California is not the first state to pass such law as it is already the fourth that treats e-cigarettes just like normal cigarettes. In California alone, 122 cities and counties already banned e-cigarettes in public places.

According to researches, the emissions from the e-cigarettes contain chemicals that cause cancer and could pose risks to children or other people who inhale the smoke coming from the smokers using the product.

On Monday, a group called American Vaping Association criticized the new bill, saying it would harm smokers who are trying to quit and have switched from normal to electronic cigarettes. Vapes have been marketed as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking as it allegedly does not flood the lungs with smoke. 

Gregory Conley, the president of the association, said in a statement, "California smokers deserve truthful information about smoke-free alternatives, not hype and conjecture designed to scare them away from attempting to quit with these innovative technology products."

Tagse-cigarette, vaping, e-cigs, california, e-cigarette ban, public places