By Belinda Goldsmith
LONDON (Reuters) - Wales could become the first part of the United Kingdom to ban electronic cigarettes in enclosed public spaces due to fears their use could "re-normalize" smoking conventional cigarettes.
Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the rapid spread of e-cigarettes could undermine the health benefits of banning the smoking of conventional cigarettes in public in 2007.
The proposal comes amid a fierce debate over the health impact of e-cigarettes which do not contain tobacco or produce smoke but use heat to vaporize flavored, liquid nicotine.
Proponents argue they can help people to quit smoking but a rising number of countries like Singapore and Brazil have banned e-cigarettes and U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles, blocked their use in many public places.
Drakeford said he was concerned that the use of e-cigarettes would boost the number of smokers.
"E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and I want to minimize the risk of a new generation becoming addicted to this drug," Drakeford said in a statement as he launched a raft of proposals to improve public health in Wales.
