Science

Electronic cigarettes will be classified as medicine in Britain

Electronic cigarettes along with products containing nicotine will be classified and licensed as medication in Britainby 2016.

The battery-powered cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, deliver an experience similar to standard cigarettes by heating liquid nicotine in a disposable cartridge and producing a vapor that can be inhaled.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in Britain said in a statement that it would regulate all such products to ensure that they are "safe, are of the right quality and work."

The research has shown that existing electronic cigarettes and other nicotine containing products on the market are not good enough to meet this public health priority."

Britain has been pressuring for a European Union-wide law on regulating nicotine-containing products and expects the legislation to be adopted in 2014 and go into affect in Britain in 2016.