As part of its plan to fight cancer, the European Union's executive branch has proposed a ban on the sale of flavoured heated tobacco products.
The European Commission EC said the proposal came in response to a significant increase in the volume of such products sold across the 27- nation bloc.
A recent study by the European Commission shows a 10 per cent increase in sales of heated tobacco products in more than five member nations, while heated tobacco products exceeded 2.5 per cent of total sales of tobacco products in the region.
The ban would cover devices using heated tobacco to produce emissions containing nicotine inhaled by users.
Electronic cigarettes - commonly known as vapes - may contain nicotine but not tobacco. The smoke from tobacco is inhaled with traditional cigarettes.
According to EU figures, cancer is the second-biggest cause of death in the bloc of 450 million residents.
There are about 1.3 million cancer deaths and 3.5 million new cases annually in the EU.
An estimated 40 per cent of EU citizens will face cancer at some point in their lives, with the annual economic impact estimated to be around 100 billion euros $152.6 billion. The European Commission previously said it wanted to make sure less than 5 per cent of the EU population use tobacco by the year 2040.
The proposed ban will now go to member nations and European Parliament lawmakers for review.
The move came after health regulators in the United States ordered Juul to withdraw its products from the market, the latest blow to the company that was blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.
The Food and Drug Administration FDA wants to bring scientific scrutiny to the multi-billion dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.
The government was temporarily blocked by the federal appeals court after the e-cigarette maker filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary hold while it appeals the sales ban.
The court had asked the FDA to pause an extraordinary and unlawful action that would have required it to immediately halt its business.
To stay on the market, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health.
In practice, that means that adults who use them are likely to quit smoking or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.
The FDA said Juul's application left regulators with significant questions and did not include enough information to evaluate potential health risks.
Juul submitted enough information and data to address all issues raised by the company.
While Juul remains a top seller, its share of the US e-cigarette market has dropped to about half.
The company was blamed for a surge in underage vaping a few years ago, but a recent federal survey showed a drop in the teen vaping rate and a shift away from its products.