Nevada poison control cases double from e-cigarette exposure

Nevada’s Poison Control reported 44 exposures to liquid nicotine and e-cigarettes in 2014, doubling the number from the year before.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that number for exposure has doubled nationwide from the previous year. It report it received more than 3,700 emergency calls in 2014. This year to date, it has received nearly 1,500 emergency calls about e-cigarette or liquid nicotine exposure.

Maria Azzarelli of the Southern Nevada Health District said that exposure to the skin or ingestion of the liquid nicotine can cause increased heart rate, burning and even death in some cases.

Experts from the poison center recommend users protect their skin while handling the products and keep them away from children. More than half of the emergency calls in 2014 involved children under the age of six, according to the AAPCC. On its site, its says children and toddlers who come in contact with e-cigarette devices or liquid nicotine have become ill, some even requiring ER visits with nausea and vomiting.

To keep everyone safe, AAPCC recommends adults use care to protect their skin when handling the products and to keep out of reach of children. If exposure occurs, call the local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.