American insurance major Prudential is reportedly planning to increase the prices of its life insurance plans for Vapers due to higher health risks associated with such people.

The American life insurer, according to a Bloomberg report, will now categorise Vapers as smokers when they apply for individual coverage.

After a number of lung-injury incidents were linked with usage of electronic cigarette, the officials have launched investigations.

The incidents also prompted retailers such as Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Kroger to stop selling electronic cigarette.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield was quoted by the publication as saying that over 1,000 cases recorded last week could just be “the tip of the iceberg” of the threat from vaping.

Prudential in a statement said: “Increased attention on vaping over the past few months and linkages to a few deaths and multiple illnesses, have resulted in warnings from the FDA, federal government and some states banning the use of flavoured e-cigarettes.

“In the coming weeks, and consistent with industry shifts, Prudential will reclassify users of e-cigarettes to treat them as smokers and in line with our cigarette smoking guidelines.”

The CDC statistics show that smoking is the primary cause of preventable death and it leads to death of more than 480,000 people annually in the US.