Connecticut lawmakers are calling for legislation that would require manufacturers to use child-proof bottles for liquid nicotine.
“Liquid nicotine can poison a child, can do near lethal damage to children,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is pushing for changes alongside Rep. Elizabeth Esty.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers has received more than 1,500 reports of liquid nicotine exposure nationally, including 18 calls since 2011 in Connecticut.
“One teaspoon on the skin, one teaspoon touched the eye, one teaspoon ingested, is enough to poison a child,” said Esty.
However, some people wonder if liquid nicotine is being singled out. According to the National Capital Poison Center, personal care products and cleaning substances top the list of most common poisons for children.
“E-cigarette juice doesn't even crack the top 25 for what children are getting poisoned by, not even close. All the cleaning products and anything in a house for years and years, children have been poisoned by,” said Szabo.
Szabo isn't against the childproofing mandate. However, he says some of the responsibility has to be put on the parents to keep it out of kids hands.
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“Anything you leave in the reach of a child is going to be explored,” said Szabo.
