A tobacconist in Toulouse is suing a nearby e-cigarette shop over advertisements the smokeshop owner says impinge on the monopoly to market tobacco products in licensed shops, said state-radio RFI.

Esmokeclean, which set up shop in June, allegedly is breaching the law by advertising its products without a tobacco license, RFI reported. E-cigarette shop owner Benjamin Echalier replied his products are not the same as those sold in traditional smokeshops, RFI said.
Legislation that will determine whether e-cigarettes are regulated as medical or tobacco products is pending before the European Union. Lawyers for the two shop owners said a legal vacuum currently surrounds e-cigarette regulation in France, RFI reported.