Toddler Dies E Juice - A small child has died after ingesting liquid nicotine; the juice used in electronic cigarettes.
Local sources say the unfortunate incident happened on Dec. 9 just around 4 p.m. Police received distress call and arrived at the scene shortly to find a one-year-old boy unresponsive in his Fort Plain, New York home. Officers transported him to the Little Falls Hospital and after several attempts to resuscitate the toddler, he was pronounced dead at 5:53 p.m.
An investigation into the circumstances of the child's death has been opened. Officials say the toddler, whose name has been withheld, died from complications resulting from ingesting liquid nicotine from a glass bottle that didn't have a childproof cap.
According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), the child's tragic case is the first recorded incidental death resulting from the substance. The first case happened in 2012 after a man injected himself with liquid nicotine in an obvious suicide.
Reports indicate that liquid nicotine is highly toxic and people have to dilute it before it can be safe to use. Authorities have revealed that the substance used in production of electronic cigarettes is extremely toxic to children. A little amount can lead to serious health complications.
One teaspoon of the said liquid is reported dangerous and can be fatal for children. This can lead to health complications including vomiting, decreased blood pressure, convulsion and the loss of the ability to breathe.
This tragic incident has caused many to question the safety of e-cigarettes which is largely considered to be safer option than smoking.
There have been calls to rethink how the highly toxic ingredient in liquid nicotine is packaged and branded. Liquid nicotine comes in different sizes and flavors including cotton candy and gummy bear. Officials say these flavors are very popular with kids, however the bottles or containers are not required to make them childproof.
"They are marketing this liquid nicotine in candy and fruit flavors, so they can be appealing to young people. And with no childproof caps on hem they're lethal, as we unfortunately saw," said Judy Rightmeyer, the director of the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition.
Reports indicate that a new bill passed by the state legislature requires all liquid nicotine to be kept in child-resistant packets. However, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is yet to sign the bill.
The "AAPCC supports federal legislation to mandate the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to require child-proof packaging for liquid nicotine sold to consumers in light of the possible death of a 1-year-old," the AAPCC said in a statement.
