Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health & Fitness
  3. News

Liquid nicotine poisonings have surged across the country, and the FDA is doing something about it

Lulu Chang
By

california e cigarette tax ego ecigarette kit
Image used with permission by copyright holder
As it turns out, making cigarettes more high tech doesn’t make them any better for you (at least, if you drink what’s inside). In recent months, emergency cases of liquid nicotine poisoning have increased across the country, prompting an FDA probe into the substance. While smoking traditional cigarettes has declined among Americans, the use of e-cigarettes and vaporizing devices has increased over this time last year, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. And this new popularity of e-cigarettes and their sister devices has prompted a whole new set of concerns within the health community, especially when it comes to accidental exposure of nicotine (in any form) to children and infants.

On Tuesday, the FDA called for “comments, data, research results or other information that may inform regulatory actions FDA might take” in a 15-page “notice of proposed rulemaking” geared towards the creation of further warning labels on liquid nicotine and other tobacco products. This will be particularly prevalent amongst high school smokers, who represent a significant portion of the e-cigarette smoking population. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “e-cigarette use among high school students increased from 4.5 percent in 2013 to 13.4 percent in 2014, while conventional cigarette smokers dropped from 12.7 percent to 9.2 percent over that same time period.” The e-cigarette industry is now estimated to make an annual $2.1 billion in sales.

Recommended Videos

In a statement, Susan Liss, executive director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, applauded the FDA’s new move towards regulation of the industry, which it had previously left untouched. Said Liss, “We’re pleased that the FDA is taking this step, but this is not a replacement for quickly issuing a final, strong deeming rule that regulates all tobacco products and addresses flavors and marketing.”

The vaping industry has shot back, insisting that its warning labels are already clear enough, and that the FDA should not misrepresent information. Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, told the New York Times, “Poorly designed warning labels have the capacity to mislead adult smokers on the relative risks of vaping versus tobacco smoking. Any proposed warning must be thoroughly tested to ensure that it only imparts factual information.”

And the fact of the matter is, liquid nicotine is dangerous, and the FDA is finally taking a stand against it.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
How does Garmin measure stress?
Garmin Vivomove Sport dial close up. Credits: Garmin official.

Garmin watches are known for their robust activity tracking, but that's not all these fitness watches can do. Over the years, the company has been adding wellness features to its lineup of watches. These new health-focused metrics allow people to analyze their fitness and identify outside factors affecting their performance. Stress is one factor that can profoundly impact not only your fitness, but also your health and well-being. We break down how Garmin measures stress and delve into the accuracy of this metric. Should you trust your stress score? Read on to find out.

Is Garmin's stress score accurate?

Read more
FDA clears first-ever smartphone app for insulin delivery
Someone checking their insulin levels.

People with diabetes will have an easier time getting insulin into their bodies with just one tap on their phone. The Food and Drug Administration has cleared the first-ever smartphone app developed by Tandem Diabetes Care to program insulin dosage for its t:slim X2 insulin pump users.

Tandem Diabetes Care, a leading insulin delivery and diabetes technology company, based in California, made the historic announcement on Wednesday, saying that its app is the first app for both Android and iOS capable of delivering insulin from a smartphone. Insulin delivery previously had to be conducted from the pump alone.

Read more
ClipDart is an on-demand barber app aimed at people of color
ClipDart founder, Kyle Parker.

It’s funny how we can take certain things for granted, like haircuts. Over the course of more than 50 years of living in different cities, different neighborhoods, or even visiting different countries, not once have I ever worried about whether I could find someone who could cut my hair the way I liked. Then again, I’m white.

But if you’re a person of color, it can be an entirely different experience. That’s what Kyle Parker discovered when he left his hometown of Chicago in 2013 to attend Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, population 9,031. While 24% of Grinnell College’s students identify themselves as people of color, fewer than 10% of residents of the city of Grinnell would say the same of themselves.

Read more