A leading Australian health researcher has called for a total ban on cigarettes as a new study finds millions of deaths could be prevented if smokers switched to electronic cigarettes.

Menzies School of Health researcher Dr Marita Hefler says the rapid evolution of alternative nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes, meant outlawing combustible tobacco, including cigarettes, was now possible.

Though e-cigarettes and other vaping products are growing more popular, they haven't proven to be as much of a boon to the tobacco giants as expected. Credit:iStock

"Any other consumer product that kills up to two-thirds of its long-term users remaining legal is unimaginable,"Dr Hefler said.

"Even if the political will had existed for a sales ban, until recently, no products could match the nicotine delivery efficiency of combustible tobacco with substantially less harm, rendering a sales ban a non-viable option due to the risk of a black market."