Electronic cigarettes, also known as vapes, are an increasingly popular alternative to traditional cigarettes for adults. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests little is known about the harmful effects of vapes due to a lack of studies, but a recent CBS6 report suggested that hundreds of children under six are suffering vape poisoning. What’s more alarming is that this is not from second-hand smoke.
In 2015, the Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) received more than three thousand reports of e-cigarette and liquid nicotine poisoning incidents. More than half of the incidents involved childhood vape poisoning as a result of drinking the liquid.
Vapes and top box mods are designed for adults, but the e-liquids are available in flavors based on products commonly marketed to children including Sweet Tarts, Hawaiian Punch, Kool-Aid, Gummi Bears and Froot Loops, according to CBS News. Young children under the age of six who do not understand that the e-liquids are for adults are drinking the products thinking they are consuming candy, suggested CBS6.
“There’s a risk of not being able to breathe, and then you go down the line to even coma and death,” advised Pediatrician Mark Flanzenbaum.
In an attempt to prevent injuries and protect themselves from products liability claims, many manufacturers and distributors of vape juice oil are using child-proof caps, but there are no rules to require all manufacturers to take precautions to prevent childhood ingestion on poisoning. However, U.S. News recently reported that the FDA announced its intention to regulate the e-cigarettes in the near future.
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