E-Cigarettes Tragedy: ‘Vaping’ Claims Life Of Toddler
E-cigarettes are widely accepted as a positive alternative to traditional cigarette smoke, but recent pushback has started to call this reputation into question, and a story reported this week isn’t going to help.
According to WABC-TV, a toddler has died after getting into the nicotine liquid used for what e-cigarette users refer to as “vaping.”
The Fort Plain, New York, child was described as a one-year-old boy. Charges are not expected as the police are looking at it as a tragic accident.
The liquid nicotine utilized when smoking e-cigarettes is legal in the state of New York, but it’s a highly toxic substance, especially at such a highly concentrated level as what the child consumed.
Containers within the state are not required to have child-proof caps at present, though that is expected to change as Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign the already-passed bill into law within a few weeks.
Some are pointing their outrage at the relatively new electronic cigarette experience and the “candy-scented poison” that liquid nicotine is. They point to incidents like this one as well as this recent study that claims e-cigarettes have more carcinogens than traditional cigarettes as “proof” that e-cigs should be banned along with their older brother.
Of course, in the case of the carcinogens study, vaping advocates were quick to point out the flaws, noting that even in the worst-case Japanese product used for the research, e-cigarette aerosol contained six times lower formaldehyde levels compared to tobacco cigarette smoke.
Going back to the e-cigarettes tragedy in New York, one Gawker commenter had this to say.
“This one-year old died because of parental neglect. No different than if he drank bleach when mommy wasn’t paying attention. I’m all for regulating the packaging of e-liquids, regulating advertising and taking any other steps to protect minors. Just like alcohol. Even the candy-flavored and other festively-packaged alcohol.”
No matter which side of the vaping argument you come down on, what this commenter says in the last part of her statement is hard to disagree with, hence the move by New York lawmakers to place child-proof restraints on liquid nicotine.
One commenter from the EU couldn’t believe that it’s not mandatory already in the United States given how poisonous pure nicotine is before it has been vaporized.
“Every single e-liquid I’ve ever seen has medicine-style childproof caps: they have to to be sold legally in the EU. All the major global brands do, like Hangsen: if U.S.-specific brands don’t because of lax U.S. consumer protection laws, it really is outrageous.”
Do you think e-cigarettes are dangerous, readers, and what about child restraints — should the U.S. have them or should people keep a better watch on their kids? (Or both?) Sound off in our comments section.
[Image via ShutterStock]
