The American Heart Association recently released a statement saying minors should be banned from using e-cigarettes and that the Food and Drug Administration should be quicker in crafting regulations for this device.

Powered by batteries, e-cigarettes vaporize nicotine. The device is being used worldwide and has US$2 billion in sales per year.

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"Over the last 50 years, 20 million Americans died because of tobacco. We are fiercely committed to preventing the tobacco industry from addicting another generation of smokers," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.  

The American Heart Association fears e-cigarettes might be the transitional tool by which minors get into traditional cigarettes, which in turn could "renormalize" smoking again.

The FDA replied it does plan to regulate e-cigarettes, as well as cigars and other tobacco-based products.

Many e-cigarette users fear regulation of the device might mean it will be harder to acquire.

Brown and her colleagues disagree with the belief e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes. She said there are also risks that go along with e-cigarettes.

"We fear that any additional delay of these new regulations will have real, continuing public health consequences," Brown added.

Aside from nicotine, a number of e-cigarettes form other products such as formaldehyde, which can cause cancer.

"There are many things we see as dark clouds on the horizon about e-cigarettes' effects on blood vessels and secondhand exposure, especially to pregnant women," said Dr. Elliott Antman, president of the American Heart Association.

Heart doctors believe e-cigarettes should only be the last resort, an option taken when all other methods of quitting smoking have been exhausted.

Other methods to quit smoking include nicotine patches and gum and, counseling.