E-cigarettes behind rise in calls to poison control centers
Children are picking up liquid cartridges
Manufacturers and some users of electronic cigarettes claim they’re a healthier alternative to the real thing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking the authority to regulate them like it does conventional cigarettes. TV commercials extol their main advantage over cigarettes; that they release vapor rather than smoke. Public health experts warn that they are increasingly popular teen routes to nicotine addiction.
While the debate about e-cigarettes will no doubt continue for some time, at least one hospital is reporting an alarming rise in calls about children being poisoned by them.