A 1-year-old child from upstate New York may be the first child to die from liquid nicotine poisoning. This substance, used in electronic cigarettes, is concerning health officials as of late as the e-cigarettes continue to rise in popularity among adults and teens.
Fort Plain police reported that the child was found unresponsive and rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The rise in popularity of e-cigarette use, also known as “vaping,” has also resulted in a market for flavored liquid nicotine that are produced in a variety of colors. Health officials warn that brightly colored liquids such as these could appeal to young children.
“One teaspoon of liquid nicotine could be lethal to a child, and smaller amounts can cause severe illness, often requiring trips to the emergency department,” the American Association of Poison Control said in a statement today.
The number of dangerous “exposures” to liquid nicotine this year, 3,638 has more than doubled the 1,543 exposures reported in 2013.
Currently there are standards in place requiring child-proof packing of liquid nicotine.
Photo: Dondi Tawatao, Getty Images
