Liquid Nicotine Needs Health Warning Labels: Attorneys General

Attorneys general from 33 states are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require health warning labels on liquid nicotine, Reuters reports.

Liquid nicotine is used in e-cigarettes, which convert the liquid into a vapor that is inhaled.The attorneys general also want the FDA to adopt or establish standards for child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine and novel tobacco products.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reports a recent increase in calls about exposures to e-cigarette devices and liquid nicotine. In 2015, through August 31, AAPCC received 2,209 calls related to e-cigarette devices and liquid nicotine.

More than 3,700 children exposed to liquid nicotine were reported at poison control centers last year, the article notes.

Slightly more than half of these reported exposures have occurred in young children under the age of 6. Some children and toddlers who come in contact with e-cigarette devices or liquid nicotine have become very ill, and some have required ER visits. Nausea and vomiting are the most significant symptoms.

“Given the growing popularity of ‘tank’-style vaping devices, which require periodic refilling with liquid nicotine, public health threats from nicotine exposure will increase in the absence of appropriate FDA regulation,” the letter said.

“As more and more Americans – especially young people – take up e-cigarettes, it is more important than ever that the FDA ensures our children are protected from the dangers of liquid nicotine,” Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a news release. “Child-resistant packaging and health warnings are an essential step to keeping these potentially lethal toxins out of the hands of our children. The FDA must step up and regulate the sale and packaging of these dangerous products before any more kids are harmed.”