A long-time smoker was shocked earlier this week to have his electronic cigarette seized by customs.James Hill said while Government allows the easy purchase of cigarettes, he was told a doctor’s certificate is required for what he believes is a safer form of nicotine.“I think it’s crazy that I can go down the road and purchase a pack of cigarettes which no one in the world would say doesn’t kill you, but I need permission to buy these,” he said. “I would understand if you needed a doctor’s certificate to obtain cigarettes, but otherwise it’s just frustrating.”Mr Hill told The Royal Gazette that he started smoking 25 years ago, developing a pack-a-day habit. When the negative effects of smoking began to add up, he started searching for an alternative.“I tried the patch, I’ve tried the gum, nothing worked,” he said. “About four years ago I discovered electronic cigarettes.“There’s no smell, there’s no second-hand smoke, no harm to people outside you. Nobody would say these things are 100 percent safe, but they are an order of magnitude safer than cigarettes.”Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are devices that vaporises a liquid containing nicotine into mist, which is inhaled by the user.Mr Hill said he has been using the devices on the Island for four years, importing the electronic cigarettes and cartridges through courier services. However this week he was told his new electronic cigarette had been seized by customs.“It seems there’s a new rule saying you need a doctor’s certificate to purchase electronic cigarettes,” he said. “I’m going to see my doctor and see if she will give me permission to save my life, because without these I’m back on real cigarettes.”He noted that the package he was importing contained only the electronic cigarette without any of the cartridges that contain nicotine.Mr Hill acknowledged the electronic cigarettes have not been proven 100 percent safe, but he claimed they are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.“I’ve noticed major health benefits. I’ve got my breath back, I don’t smell anymore,” Mr Hill said. “Smoking cigarettes was affecting my family, it stank, so this is my way of smoking without smoke.”A spokeswoman from the Ministry of Health yesterday said under current legislation nicotine is listed as a schedule three drug.“As such, requires a prescription to obtain it unless it’s in the form of its ‘natural substance, ie tobacco,” she said. “This is the Government’s current policy, which adheres to the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, sections 25 (1)-(3) on Importation of Medicines and section 46 on Dispensing Records.“The importation of electronic cigarettes into Bermuda only came to our attention recently. If they were imported previously, we were not aware.”