The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) issued a warning on Tuesday of the dangers of electronic cigarettes and to keep them away from children.
The warning is a result of reports received by the group about exposure to e-cigarettes and the liquid nicotine inside them, according to USA Today. The reports include, in the U.S., 269 incidents in 2011, 459 in 2012, 1,414 in 2013 and 651 this year through March 24.
Over half of the exposures have occurred to children under six-years-old, PRWeb reported. Some toddlers and kids became very ill after coming into contact with liquid nicotine or e-cigarettes, with some requiring ER visits due to nausea and vomiting.
Adults were advised to not only protect their skin when using the device, but also to dispose of them correctly to keep pets and children from being exposed to the residue and liquid left in the container.
"When it comes to concentrated liquid nicotine, the danger is not just ingestion but with simple contact with skin," said Ashley Webb, director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Center. "We want to increase awareness about the potential toxicity of these products are significantly toxic in very small doses. With any new product, we expect to see an increase in the number of calls for poison centers. However, we are more concerned when the product involved has such a high potential for causing injury."
Lee Cantrell, a toxicologist and director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System, said reported pediatric exposures in the state increased 10-fold from January 2013 to February 2014, USA Today reported. He said that some people mistook small cartridges of liquid nicotine for medicine, while others spilled the solution on their hands and became sick. He added that liquid nicotine could have a more severe effect on kids.
"Children should never be near these products," Cantrell said.
A study from the University of California-San Francisco found that adolescents who used e-cigs had a better chance of smoking conventional cigarettes than those who didn't use the device, USA Today reported.
"E-cigarettes are likely to be gateway devices for nicotine addiction among youth, opening up a whole new market for tobacco," said lead author Lauren Dutra, a postdoctoral fellow at the USCF's Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
