Plans to re-classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products could jeopardise the opportunity to prevent millions of deaths caused by smoking.
A group of more than 50 leading scientists has written to the World Health Organisation (WHO) calling on it to resist the urge to control and suppress the devices
They say the technology is part of the solution to tackling smoking, not the problem.
The scientists - from Nicotine Science and Policy - have reacted to a leaked document preparatory meeting, indicating that the WHO considers e-cigarettes a "threat" to public health and intends to sideline their use as an accessible alternative to regular tobacco.
In their letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, they argue that tobacco harm reduction products could play a significant role in meeting the 2025 United Nations objectives to reduce non-communicable diseases.
At issue for them is that the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) does not differentiate between the risks of different nicotine products.
Applying FCTC measures to e-cigarettes, they say, would treat them the same as other tobacco products such as tobacco cigarettes and introduce bans on advertising, include them in smoke-free legislation, apply high taxes and large health warnings.
All of which the group says will be aimed to reduce their availability, attractiveness and acceptability.
It comes just a month after the Health Service Executive (HSE) announced its intention to ban the use of the devices in all health service facilities.
Globally, 1.3 billion people smoke and the WHO estimates that up to one billion tobacco-related premature deaths are possible in the 21st Century.
