A story in the Providence Journal by way of the Cronkite News Service warns that cases of poisoning by e-liquid for electronic cigarettes has increased more than two-fold since 2011, with many of the cases involving children.
The numbers are hardly surprising, given the boom e-cigarettes have seen in that timespan (as Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center Dr. F. Mazda Shirada says, “It’s just a matter of the mathematical growth that [e-cigarettes are] having”), but it serves as a reminder that nicotine, particularly in large doses, can be dangerous stuff, particularly if ingested.
“In a small kid, if they get into the concentrated refills, they can have similar effects of when [nicotine] is used as a pesticide.”
– Dr. F. Mazda Shirada, Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center
While it’s easy to discount stories like this as scare tactics (and there definitely are elements of that in the linked story, along with more than a little of the kind of anti-vaping propaganda we expect any time we see someone from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids quoted), it’s also important to remember that nicotine is, indeed, toxic, and should be treated as such.
We highly recommend always keeping e-liquid bottles and refill cartridges where kids and pets won’t get to them, and if your juice vendor of choice doesn’t offer childproof caps, consider dropping them a hint.
E-cigarette refills pose poisoning hazard for small children | Providence Journal
Poisoning Cases Doubled Sine 2011
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