An advert for an e-cigarette brand has been banned after the advertising watchdog ruled that claims including that it was "the healthier smoking alternative" could not be substantiated.

Wednesday's ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority comes as it looks to introduce new regulations for e-cigarette marketing to clear up uncertainty in the market.

The leaflet for Ten Motives' disposable electronic cigarettes claimed they were "the healthier smoking alternative" and "because it contains no tar or cancerous toxins, you can still enjoy smoking without worrying about the effects on your health".

The ad was challenged over whether these claims could be substantiated.

In its defence, Ten Motives argued that e-cigarettes were a safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, saying that its product contained none of the 4,000 or so harmful toxins and carcinogens found in conventional tobacoo-based products.

It pointed out that regulator Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had confirmed that it was acceptable to refer to its products as a healthier alternative.

It also cited a briefing document from the public health charity Ash (Action on Smoking and Health) that stated "people smoke for nicotine but they die from the tar".

Ten Motives also provided links to presentations given at an e-cigarette summit in November 2013 at the Royal Society, which it said had been attended by recognised international scientific authorities on smoking, including the MHRA.

It highlighted quotes and presentations that it said supported the ad's claims, including a science-based independent presentation, "Nicotine safety in the context of e-cigarette use and tobacco dependance".

In its ruling, the ASA noted the two claims in the ad were understood to mean the Ten Motive's products were less harmful than conventional cigarettes.

But it ruled that the ad should be banned, as although it acknowledged the quote from Ash, it noted it was not supported by further documentation or substantiation showing the effects of e-cigarettes or the Ten Motives products specifically.

Likewise, it said the summit presentations did not deal specifically with Ten Motives products.

In its ruling, the ASA concluded the claims "the healthier smoking alternative" and "you can still enjoy smoking without worrying about the effects on your health" were misleading and the ad should be banned.

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