U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require child-safety packaging for all containers of liquid nicotine sold nationwide.
Liquid nicotine — a combination of tobacco-extracted nicotine, other hazardous chemicals and artificial flavoring — is placed inside various types of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes. It can appear in many different colors and flavors, making it attractive to children and creating a safety hazard for accidental poisoning.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said many packages of liquid nicotine that are readily available at retail outlets across the country today contain enough nicotine to kill up to four young children.
“The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015 ensures proper protections are in place to prevent unnecessary medical emergencies and deaths,” Brooks said of the bipartisan legislation. “Currently, it’s simply too easy for a child to be fooled by packaging that uses bright and attractive colors to advertise familiar candy-like flavors. Last year, a 1-year-old died from drinking just a small amount of liquid nicotine. This legislation could have prevented such a heart-breaking occurrence and will give parents, retailers and suppliers peace of mind moving forward. I look forward to working with Representative Esty to advance this extremely necessary legislation.”
“Liquid nicotine found in e-cigarettes poses a significant threat to our public health – especially to the health of our children,” Esty said. “The bright packages are attractive to kids, and flavors, like bubble gum and gummy bear, can be easily confused with candy. We shield our children from hazardous products – liquid nicotine should be no exception. It’s imperative that we adequately protect our children from unnecessary illness and death. That’s why Congresswoman Brooks and I are introducing common-sense bipartisan legislation to save lives.”
In December, it was reported that a 1-year-old child in Fort Plain, New York, died from ingesting liquid nicotine. The American Association for Poison Control Centers said 3,783 calls related to liquid-nicotine exposure were made to local poison-control centers in 2014.
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