THE chairman of an important health committee in Worcestershire has attacked the rise of e-cigarettes - calling them "revolting".

Councillor Alan Amos says he is concerned about the increasing numbers of young people turning to them in the belief they are completely harm free.

The Conservative, who chairs the county's health overview and scrutiny committee (HOSC) has called for NHS officials to treat it "like ordinary smoking".

He also says he believes too many youngsters are taking up e-cigarettes only to then progress to the real thing.

It comes despite some research claiming the electronic cigarettes are helping more smokers kick their habit.

Councillor Amos said: "We need to treat electronic cigarettes like ordinary smoking, in my view.

"People call it 'vaping' but there is no verb to 'vape', we all need to be clear that we're actually talking about smoking here.

"All the proper medical evidence is that this vapour contains toxins and nicotine, both of which are killers.

"They produce revolting acrid smells and my concern is that young people are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes in particular.

"These days they are the first step to actual smoking, it's a dirty revolting habit that damages your health."

The HOSC panel, which meets at County Hall, probes NHS services and is designed to hold health officials to account.

Several recent studies have suggested that short to medium-term vaping has no obvious impact on a person's health, although the jury is still out on long-term use.

Only last month the British Medical Journal cited research from 660 users who displayed no evidence of "serious side effects" after two years of vaping.

Other research from University College London estimated that for every 10,000 people who use e-cigarettes to quit, 580 would have turned back to the real thing without it.

But their use is controversial, with the devices containing traces of nicotine, known carcinogens, toxic chemicals and metals.

Some scientists say the damage to the heart could be as bad as the real thing, disputing the research.

The long-term health consequences of repeated exposure to them are not yet clear, with the Department for Health still pushing local authorities towards promoting official 'Stop Smoking' services.

Around two million people across Britain are now estimated to be using e-cigarettes.