DOHA: The ministries of trade and industry and health as well as various authorities concerned in Saudi Arabia are studying ways to curb the entry of banned electronic cigarette devices, also known as “e-cigarettes”, into the kingdom.

The move comes after the issuance of a warning on the use of these devices by the US Food and Drug Administration, which said they contain harmful carcinogenic and toxic substances, notably diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze.

“E-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices designed to look like and to be used in the same manner as conventional cigarettes. The devices generally contain cartridges filled with nicotine, flavour, and other chemicals. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapour that is inhaled by the user.

Advertisers and marketers of the device have been falsely claiming that it is a successful method to quit smoking, and have sometimes used the World Health Organisation’s logo on the devices’ packs.

Saudi Arabia is one of the leading countries that have banned the sale of “e-cigarettes” because of the harm the devices cause. The devices have been popular for the past few years following their introduction in China in 2004.

“E-cigarettes”, which sell for around SR500, are manufactured in China to be marketed globally, mainly in Europe.

Upon testing it was found that the “e-cigarette” harms human health far more than the normal cigarette and it contains 40 times as much nicotine as a regular cigarette.

The head of the Saudi Smoking and Drug Awareness Organisation said their use was still limited and there were no official importers of the devices within the kingdom.