E-CIGARETTES should come with tobacco-style health warnings on the packaging, doctors say.
Public health experts in 15 countries agree there is enough concern about the risks of vaping to justify it.
They said warnings on heated tobacco vapes “should not be softer” than real cigarettes, while e-cig makers should make clear that scientists do not fully understand the dangers.
They also want vaping outlawed in indoor public spaces, claiming it makes people more likely to go back to smoking.
It became UK law for tobacco packets to carry picture warnings in 2008 and health messages must now take up two thirds of the pack.
But there is only very limited regulation covering the sale of e-cigarettes in the UK.
However, they contain nicotine, which is addictive, and have been linked to lung and blood vessel damage.
Researchers writing in BMJ Open say those risks are not being taken seriously.
Dr Ivan Berlin, from the Sorbonne University in France, and his team called for tighter regulation.
He said: “They should not be sold in general stores but in specialised shops, shops selling tobacco or in pharmacies.”
However, health campaigners say use of e-cigarettes should be encouraged as they are widely recognised as being far safer than smoking tobacco.