The number of accidental exposures to electronic cigarettes is increasing in the United States. From September 2010 to February 2014, we went from 1 call per month to poison control centers to 215.
Beware of poisoning with electronic cigarettes. The number of calls to poison control centers in the United States increased from just one per month in September 2010 to 215 in February 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And if young children represent more than half of the victims, poisoning has also been observed in adults over 20 years old. In 2013, more than 1,400 accidental exposures were reported across the Atlantic.
Accidents related to ingestion and inhalation
Ingestion is the main source of accidental exposure (nearly 70%), but also inhalation (17%), contact with eyes (8.5%) and skin (6%). Calls for accidental exposure to e-cigarettes more often mention an adverse effect than those for conventional cigarettes. And the most commonly reported side effects are vomiting, nausea, and eye irritation.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers have alerted parents and are asking them to keep liquids with high nicotine concentrations out of the reach of children. In France, the French Office for the Prevention of Smoking recommends applying the regulations in force for poisonous substances to cartridges and refills of electronic cigarettes, namely a safety cap and a pictogram indicating the danger. And the French Association for Standardization, Afnor has just announced the creation of an electronic cigarette standardization commission, whose first meeting is to be held on May 16.
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