May 5 - A study has shown that the teen e-cigarette crisis could be nipped in the bud if fruit and menthol flavors are banned, according to reports.

Seventy percent of 14 - to 21-year-olds who use e-cigarettes say they would quit smoking if they tasted like regular cigarettes.

Banning menthol, though, is crucial.

When asked if they would give up e-cigarettes altogether if only fruit flavors were banned, only 40 percent said yes. The United States and Britain are in the midst of what some are calling a childhood vape epidemic, with increasing reports of classrooms and playgrounds turning into clouds of smoke because so many young people are addicted.

In the United States, about one in five middle and high school children (2.55 million) admit to using these devices at least once a month.

Researchers at Ohio State University surveyed 1,400 e-cigarette users, ages 14 to 21, from across the United States who had smoked an e-cigarette at least once - defined as regular use - in the previous 30 days.

Participants said their favorite flavors were fruit (45 percent), including pineapple lemonade and blueberry and fruit ice (30.5 percent), or fruit and mint, such as juicy grape ice and banana ice.

In contrast, only one in 10 said menthol was their favorite, while 3 percent said they preferred tobacco.

They were all asked hypothetical questions: If your e-cigarette only came in tobacco and mint flavors, would you use it?

And: If your e-cigarette only smelled like tobacco, would you use it?

Results showed that 549 teens (38.8 percent) said they would quit smoking in light of the flavored e-cigarette ban.

But if this was extended to menthol e-cigarettes, 1,001 (70.8%) said they would stop vaping.

The researchers note in their study that this is hypothetical and cannot prove that young people would actually quit e-cigarettes if flavors were banned.

But taste is clearly important to their interest in and continued use of e-cigarettes, they added. Limitations of the study include that the participants were mostly white and female, meaning the results cannot be generalized to the child population.

It's also possible, the researchers said, that children misunderstand the question and think the ban only applies to the specific vaping devices they use - not all flavors.

The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Four US states - Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island - have banned flavored e-cigarettes, while California has restricted their sale in stores.

However, studies have shown that when bans are put in place, they increase the risk of young people switching to smoking instead of vaping.

E-cigarettes were once touted as a healthy alternative to smoking and a great way to help people quit nicotine.

But a growing body of evidence suggests they pose health risks similar to smoking, and may attract a new generation of nicotine users who would not normally smoke cigarettes.