U.S. Senators Seek Safety Caps for Liquid Nicotine Containers

Senate bill would require childproof packaging of liquid nicotine containers for electronic cigarettes.

July 14, 2014

WASHINGTON – A group of U.S. lawmakers is supporting legislation that seeks to regulate safety caps on liquid nicotine containers used for electronic cigarettes.

“There’s enough nicotine in some of these bottles to kill small children, and even if a small amount spilled on a child’s skin it could make them extremely ill,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), author of the bill and a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee.

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, there have been more than 1,500 calls regarding liquid nicotine exposure so far this year. In response, a group of lawmakers last week filed legislation that seeks to childproof the bottles.

A press release notes that S. 2581, the “Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014,” would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue rules requiring safer, child-resistant packaging for any liquid nicotine sold to consumers.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, supports the legislation: “Our important child-proofing bill deals with the alarming increase in poisonings involving e-cigarette liquids, since children are drawn to brightly colored packaging and flavorings that smell like candy.”

“We require child-proof packaging for items like Tylenol, Drano, and mouthwash, but not liquid nicotine,” said Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR). “I have been working with industry on solutions, and was hopeful they would step up on their own. However, we are seeing more and more children poisoned and even sent to the emergency room as a result of liquid nicotine. We can’t afford to keep waiting. Requiring child-proof packaging for these products is a common-sense solution to keep our kids safe.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), also commented: “There is a word for the toxic candy-flavored liquids found in electronic cigarettes: poison. Protecting our nation’s children from exposure to poison is basic common sense, especially when it can have dangerous and fatal consequences like liquid nicotine.”

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