President Obama signed into law the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, which requires all liquid nicotine containers used for e-cigarettes and other vaping devices to be sold in child-resistant packaging.

This law addresses growing concern over child poisoning cases related to e-cigarettes, which increased tenfold between 2011 and 2014 and totaled more than 3,638 in 2014, as well as one death of a 1-year-old boy resulting from ingestion of nicotine e-liquid.

While this legislation is an important step in increasing the safety of e-cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices, safety issues still abound, with reports of toxic e-liquid flavorings causing harm to lungswhen inhaled, e-cigarettes spontaneously exploding, and their unproven use as a cessation device. They remain unregulated by the FDA.

Meanwhile, the devices are marketing using youth-appealing techniques, including bright colorful packaging, cartoons, sweet and fruity flavors, celebrity endorsements, and sex appeal.

Learn more about e-cigarettes at the point of sale.

Last updated October 11, 2023