Wings, that echoes my experiences calling certain authorities!
HT, e-cigs can emit a vapour that looks a bit like smoke (think of seeing your breath on a cold day) but it doesn't linger like smoke does. However, they can be 'smoked' a certain way to avoid any visible vapour. Many, many people 'vape' (the technical word for taking a puff of your e-cig) in areas where smoking tobacco is banned - though if an airline specifically forbids it, then so be it.
Whether security have the right to confiscate a single 'battery' (think of the 'stem' of a cigarette) and half a dozen 'tips' (think of a cigarette's filter tip) is debatable. If in transit, then there's no attempt to take them into the country where they are banned. I believe they are banned in Australia (ie cannot be sold there) but I had no issues taking them into Oz or on several internal flights there.
Last edited by PositiveClimbGearUp; 10th Feb 2013 at 05:09.