E-cigarette accidents prompt poison warnings

From USA Today:

E-cigarette accidents prompt poison warnings
Wendy Koch
   @WendyKoch USA TODAY 3/30/14
   As illness reports from electronic cigarettes mount, U.S. poison centers warn parents to store the liquid nicotine used in these battery-operated devices away from children. The warning, issued this past week by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, comes as the group reports a surge in calls about exposure to e-cigarettes and the liquid nicotine they contain — from 269 nationwide in 2011 to 651 this year, through March 24.
   Slightly more than half of the reported exposures occurred in children younger than 6, some of whom became very ill and required emergency room visits. Nausea and vomiting were the most significant symptoms.
   E-cigarettes, booming in popularity but unregulated by the U.S. government, heat a liquid into a vapor that’s inhaled. The liquid contains nicotine as well as chemicals and flavorings such as chocolate and bubble gum. Users can buy this liquid in gallon-sized containers to refill their devices, many of which resemble conventional cigarettes. The liquid can cause vomiting and seizures when ingested or absorbed through the skin. A single teaspoon in highly concentrated form can kill a small child.

 
 
The full story is at http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/25/e-cigarette-warning...