Regulations banning the use of e-cigarettes in non-smoking areas and the sale of the devices to minors could be introduced in South Australia if recommendations from a parliamentary inquiry are met.

Key points: Heavy regulations recommended

Heavy regulations recommended 'Little understanding' of e-cigarettes

'Little understanding' of e-cigarettes Health risks remain 'unclear

A State Parliament select committee on e-cigarettes has handed down its findings into the devices, which are used by 1.2 per cent of the SA population.

It recommended taxing the devices, requiring child-proof caps and tamper-evident packaging on liquids used inside the e-cigarettes, banning online sales, and that a full list of ingredients was clearly visible on liquid packaging.

Committee chair and Labor MP Annabel Digance said there was still little understanding of the devices.

"It was becoming more and more apparent that there was a lot of confusion in the community with the use of e-cigarettes, because there is no regulation or legislation around this product," Ms Digance said.

"I think it was just one of those products that slipped under the radar, and just gradually more and more people in our state started to realise they were being used," she said.

Ms Digance said many in the community would be surprised to learn there was no ban on selling e-cigarettes to minors.

"It would be nice to see laws on this area sooner than later, including the sale to minors," she said.

Ms Digance admitted health impacts of e-cigarettes remained unclear and acknowledged a number of submissions were received from cigarette smokers who had been able to quit through the use of e-cigarettes.

What are e-cigarettes? Electronic cigarettes work by delivering nicotine or other chemicals via an aerosol vapour

Electronic cigarettes work by delivering nicotine or other chemicals via an aerosol vapour The devices are designed to simulate the act of smoking but do not involve the burning of tobacco (Quit Resource Centre)

"There's some research to suggest the harms are minimal, because what's inhaled and exhaled is in the main food additives," she said.

"But there's no conclusive or longitudinal study on this and that's what concerned us most."

Despite this uncertainty, the inquiry further recommended health warnings be visible on all related packaging.

The bipartisan committee recommended advertising and special promotions around e-cigarettes be phased out and that SA Health and the police be given the power to ensure compliance with regulations.

"We've had some remarkable successes in decreasing the amount of people smoking in South Australia, so we didn't want to run the risk ... where this could be an entree for young people into smoking," Ms Digance said.

The committee's report has been handed to SA Health Minister Jack Snelling for consideration.