Nicotine poisoning a parenting issue

A U.S.-based e-cigarette supplier has responded firmly to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that described how poisonings involving the liquid nicotine used in these products had increased, according to a story by Amy Dominello Braun for the Triad Business Journal, North Carolina.

Jason Healy, president of the e-cigarette manufacturer Blu eCigs, was quoted as telling ABC News that the report was part of “an ongoing attack on the e-cigs industry by various anti-smoking groups.”

“The product is for adult smokers, and therefore the responsibility for children’s safety falls on the parents, just like [in the case of] bleaches and prescription medications,” he said. “The focus should be on parenting and education, and not regulation.”

However, Healy said the findings should prompt the industry to develop effective child safety measures.

The CDC report noted a spike in poisonings, which can occur when the liquid nicotine from e-cigarettes is ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin or eyes.

The effects of this type of poisoning can include nausea and eye irritation.

More than half the reported poisonings were among children under the age of five.