PHOENIX - An Arizona state senator has proposed making it a petty offense for merchants to sell electronic cigarettes to minors and for minors to purchase them, the Arizona Republic reports.

Though many retailers maintain they don??t sell e-cigarettes to buyers younger than 18, Arizona youth can legally purchase them, even though they can??t buy tobacco products.

"If we're going to say minors can't buy regular cigarettes, it doesn't seem valid to say they can have access to electronic cigarettes," said state Sen. Steve Yarbrough. "Hopefully a few less young people will suffer nicotine addictions with this ban."

Arizona Senate Bill 1280 won preliminary approval last week from the state??s Senate Committee on the Whole, setting up a final vote that would then send the bill to the House. The penalty for violating the law would be a fine up to $300.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne favors the ban, saying e-cigarettes can lead children into addiction with tobacco products.

"It seems like another way to get young people addicted to nicotine is by using these flavors to entice them to use these products," Horne said.

David Goerlitz, president of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, said the industry supports banning e-cigarettes for minors.

"Businesses that sell to kids, shame on them," he said. "They should lose their license and be fined severely, just like you would for tobacco. Any law that prevails for tobacco should also prevail for electronic cigarettes."