FDA wants to add warnings to liquid nicotine

Liquid nicotine is used in electronic cigarettes or, e-cigarettes, and delivers the nicotine to the user in the form of vapor.

The Food and Drug Administration is now considering issuing a notice requiring e-cigarettes and nicotine-containing liquid products to be placed in child-resistant packaging and carry warnings about the risks of nicotine exposure.

According to American Association of Poison Control President Sandra Hassink, “The FDA has clear authority to keep children safe from liquid nicotine poisoning, and we urge the agency to issue the strongest possible safety standards for liquid nicotine refills as soon as possible”. This has led tobacco companies such as Altria Group, Philip Morris worldwide and Reynolds American to rush into the e-cigarette market, which has become a fad today.

Among high school students, e-cigarette use jumped to 13.4 percent in 2014 from 4.5 percent in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.

The proposal also extends to other “novel tobacco products”, including lotions, gels, dissolvables, and drinks. “Any proposed warning must be thoroughly tested to ensure that it only imparts factual information”. When heated, the liquid in the cartridge turns into a vapor that’s inhaled.