The alternative to smoking a cigarette is to smoke an electronic cigarette; in fact, e-cigarettes are usually considered to be safer. However, experts have issued a new warning after a growing number of people, especially kids, are being accidentally poisoned from liquid nicotine.
According to USA Today, e-cigarettes, the popular alternative to traditional smokes, should be kept away from children. The American Association of Poison Control Centers, issued a warning to parents on Tuesday about the latest dangers of liquid nicotine, the juice used to refill e-cigarettes.
The New York Times reported that if the liquid nicotine, also called e-liquid, is ingested or accidentally absorbed by contact with skin, it can lead to several health issues, including rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness. If exposed to a large amount, it can cause a seizure and lead to death. In fact, the report noted that "a teaspoon of even highly diluted e-liquid can kill a small child."
"These concentrated products are significantly toxic in very small doses," said Ashley Webb, director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Center, in a statement, according to USA Today. "When it comes to concentrated liquid nicotine, the danger is not just ingestion but with simple contact with the skin."
The American Association of Poison Control Centers stated there is a 307 percent increase in total e-cigarette related poisoning cases from 2012-2013. Nationwide reports noted that the number of cases have jumped from 269 in 2011 to 459 in 2012. In 2013, poison centers identified 1,414 case and 651 this year, through March 24. A little more than half of the cases reported exposures occurred in children under the age of 6.
E-cigarettes heat a liquid into a vapor that's inhaled. While some e-cigarettes come pre-loaded with liquid nicotine, others need to be refilled with liquid nicotine. E-cigarettes are reportedly supposed to help individuals quit smoking, like gum or the patch. E-cigarettes eliminate risks from more than 60 cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
"E-cigarettes are likely to be gateway devices for nicotine addiction among youth, opening up a whole new market for tobacco," Lauren Dutra, a postdoctoral fellow at the UCSF's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, said.
