WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown today announced that the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevent Act, which he cosponsors, passed in the U.S. Senate this week. The House of Representatives must now pass the bill, which would help protect children from accidental poisonings and death from liquid nicotine.

“The small containers of liquid nicotine used to refill e-cigarettes can contain enough nicotine to kill four small children – yet these deadly products continue to be manufactured and marketed in easy-to-open containers and in flavors that appeal to children,” said Brown. “It is unacceptable that these deadly containers lack any form of childproofing. That is why it is so important the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act be passed into law. This lifesaving legislation will require child safety packaging for all liquid nicotine containers to protect children from accidental poisoning and even death due to liquid nicotine poisoning. Common household products are child-proofed or have a label warning of their dangers to children. We must approach this deadly substance with the same caution.”

Marketed with flavors appealing to children, like “Cotton Candy,” “Fruity Loops,” and “Gummi Bear,” small containers of liquid nicotine can contain enough nicotine to kill four small children. While children are protected from bleach, aspirin, and mouthwash with child-proof packaging, liquid nicotine packages are not required to be child resistant. The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act would codify the poison packaging protections articulated by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act and ensure these protections and requirements apply to all liquid nicotine containers. In addition, the legislation will preserve the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) current authority in regard to packaging under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Brown has been a leader in efforts to protect children from the dangers of e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine. In addition to calling for greater nicotine exposure warnings and child-resistant packaging, Brown has also urged the Obama Administration to finalize tobacco deeming regulations that would give the agency the same regulatory authority it has over cigarettes to other unregulated tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes and hookah. In the year that the FDA has failed to finalize regulations, e-cigarette use among both high school and middle school students has tripled.

 

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