Cases of liquid nicotine poisoning on the rise in BC
Posted October 8, 2014 12:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – With more and more people using e-cigarettes, the number of cases of liquid nicotine poisoning is rapidly increasing in BC according to the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre.
There were 14 reported cases of nicotine poisoning in the last year, compared to almost none in previous years.
That’s prompting a warning from doctors to make sure kids are kept safe.
“This substance needs to be locked up, kept completely away from children. It’s absolutely essential that that’s done,” explains the Centre’s Doctor Roy Purcell.
He says it only takes about a teaspoon to kill an adult and far less for a child.
“It may contain very high concentrations of nicotine. I say may because the amount of nicotine in these substances is highly inconsistent but nicotine is a highly toxic substance. Large doses can cause everything [from] seizures, the person stopping breathing or even death.”
Purcell adds most of the time there is no child proofing on the bottles, either.
“Some them actually have a pleasant flavouring and intriguing packaging which makes it look like something that would be good to ingest.”
Out of all the cases reported in BC, no one has died. “Our worry is that there’s going to be a very serious poisoning. I’m very concerned unless something is done, that it’s just a matter of time before that happens.”
Purcell says there has been a 300 per cent increase in US cases over the last year. The national poison centre there is now receiving more than 200 calls a month for people who have been exposed to the nicotine.
