BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana Senate judiciary committee voted earlier this week to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18, the Associated Press reports.

State Sen. Rick Gallot introduced the bill, which would add e-cigarettes, vaporizers and other alternative nicotine products to the list of prohibited items, putting them on par with cigarettes and OTP. He described the bill as a safety measure, citing the possible negative health effects and habit-forming properties caused by e-cigarette use.

"This is an increasing problem with our children who have been able to get a hold of these products," he said. "We're trying to make sure that the law catches up with the technology out there."

Senators on the panel backed the measure without objection, sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.

The bill stipulates that selling to a minor or buying the products for someone under 18 would carry a $50 fine for the first violation, with the fine increasing with subsequent violations. A minor found possessing e-cigarettes could also be fined up to $50.

The products would be required to be moved behind the counter in businesses that serve people under 18 years old and could only be sold in vending machines in businesses that are restricted to adults.