The Child Nicotine Prevent Act – S. 142 – which serves as companion legislation to H.R. 3242, was signed by President Barack Obama on Thursday to require child-resistant packaging for e-liquid products containing nicotine.
H.R. 3242 was authored by U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) and passed the House earlier this month.
“Child safety packaging is a natural solution to the growing number of people, especially children, experiencing medical emergencies and even death from swallowing or touching liquid nicotine products,” Brooks said. “I want to especially thank Hoosier pediatricians and the Indiana Poison Center for their important advocacy on this proposal, and am pleased that our kids are now better protected from liquid nicotine poisoning under this new law.”
E-liquids are available in numerous colors and flavors and often appear attractive to children. Small amounts of concentrated liquid nicotine, however, can be fatal for young children.
“As Ben Franklin once said ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ – and that’s what this effort is all about,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said. “With the stroke of the president’s pen, our kids are now safer from liquid nicotine poisoning. I applaud the leadership of Rep. Susan Brooks – she identified a problem and came up with a thoughtful solution to protect our kids that’s now law. I am proud that the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act is part of our bipartisan record of success.”