Beginning November 10th, new rules published by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) will prevent e-cigarettes advertisements targeting non-smokers including children.

The new regulations, established specifically for e-cigarettes, will allow them to be shown on TV adverts for the first time. But the campaigns will be banned from attempting to tap into youth culture or promoting any link with tobacco products.

Ads must not encourage non-smokers to use e-cigarettes, must make clear that the product is an e-cigarette and not a tobacco product and must not contain anything that could be associated in the audience’s mind with a tobacco brand, CAP said.

Advertisers must not claim that e-cigarettes are safer or healthier than smoking tobacco unless they obtain authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

CAP said the rules placed an emphasis on the protection of young people, and anyone appearing in them must not be, or appear to be, under 25.