The Hidden Dangers of E-cigarettes: Protecting Children from Nicotine Exposure

With the advent of e-cigarettes and their recent regulation by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vapes or e-cigarettes have become more popular everywhere. This means that their exposure to children has also been increased. These e-cigarettes come equipped with containers for e-liquids composed of Nicotine mainly.

These containers can tempt children into drinking the e-liquid accidently. According to National Poison Data System, more than 8,269 children were exposed to Liquid Nicotine from January 2012 to April 2017 alone.

The FDA constantly warns the adults about the potential health hazards of vaping around kids. Kids may take a liquid nicotine container for a juice box or any other eatable and they might drink it. Improper storage of e-cigarettes leading to accidental ingestion accounts for 5.2 times more likeliness of kids getting admitted in hospital and 2.6 times more likeliness of having severe health issues than when exposed to regular cigarettes. A simple 30ml bottle of e-juice with 2.4% nicotine content can prove to be potentially lethal for a child.

Secondhand exposure to Nicotine along with regular cigarettes also greatly increases the chances of kids getting diagnosed with ear infections, bronchitis, pneumonia asthma and various breathing problems.

Not only that but kids who grow up around smoking parents are also three times more likely to adopt smoking themselves, later in life.

Tips on how to keep e-cigs and vapes away from children

In order to curb this issue of exposure of vapes to children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended to tax these e-cigarettes and to increase the age to purchase vaping devices along with other tobacco products. AAP has also suggested that there should be a nation-wide ban on advertisement to children as well as on the online selling of e-cigarettes.

Parents, who vape regularly, also need to adopt some safety measures to keep their children safe. They need to store their vapes and e-cigarettes securely, properly and away from the reach of their kids and should avoid vaping in front of their kids to prevent arousing a curiosity in them.

There are childproof e-cigs available in market. These e-cigs come with a vape mod that needs a passcode in order to unlock the device. This will ensure that even if your kids get hold of your vaping device, they won’t be able to turn it on and get exposed to the harmful Nicotine.

In case of any spills of the e-liquid, parents should clean it up as soon as possible, using water and soap.

Last but not least, parents should teach kids about the harmful effects of these products and should forbid them from touching or handling anything that looks like an e-cigarette.

Parents should keep the contact of the Poison Control Help-Line in their contact list in order to immediately call for help in case of any emergency.