The U.S. Senate has passed legislation requiring child-proof liquid nicotine bottles. Calls to poison control centers involving children and liquid nicotine are on the rise.
Liquid nicotine for e-cigarettes come in bright colors and kid-attracting flavors like peppermint and gummy bear. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson sponsored the legislation requiring liquid nicotine to be sold in child-resistant packaging.
Calls to poison control centers involving children have spiked in recent years, with liquid nicotine killing a toddler in New York. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports 1,543 calls in 2013 and 3,783 calls in 2014. Symptoms include heavy drooling, nausea and can send children into comas.
Debi Forrest is with Florida’s Poison Control Center, she said calls there are up as well. “The problem is they sell it in multiple flavorings and it is very enjoyable to children,” said Forrest. “Because the flavors they promote – watermelon, strawberry, bubble gum – taste really good to a young child.”
The Senate passed Nelson’s bill unanimously, it now heads to the full House.
-- Catherine Welch is a reporter with WMFE in Orlando. WMFE is a partner with Health News Florida, which receives support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
