A toddler from upstate New York has been declared dead after he accidentally ingested the highly toxic liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes, making him the first person in the U.S. to die from the controversial substance.
On Tuesday afternoon, police officers received an emergency call after the 1-year-old's parents found him unconscious at their home in Fort Plain, N.Y., WNYT reported. After paramedics failed to revive him at his home, the baby was rushed to Little Falls Hospital.
A short time later, he was pronounced dead due to liquid nicotine poisoning. The unidentified toddler's death was described as a "tragic accident" by Fort Plain Police, with officials refusing to confirm whether the toxic liquid was associated with an e-cigarette.
According to a police officer, however, the child had swallowed the liquid nicotine from a glass bottle without a child- resistant cap. Since the substance's flavors are available in cotton candy or gummy bear, youngsters can find it attractive.
"One teaspoon of liquid nicotine could be lethal to a child, and smaller amounts can cause severe illness, often requiring trips to the emergency department," the American Association of Poison Control centers said in a statement to ABC News.
"Despite the dangers these products pose to children, there are currently no standards set in place that require child-proof packaging," it added.
The tragic accident raised concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes, with some health officials calling for children to be "better protected" from the potentially toxic chemical known to be used to quit smoking, China Topix reported.
The number of liquid nicotine accidents has increased from 1,543 last year to a whopping 3,638 this year, according to the AAPCC. More than half of these cases involved children younger than 6.
The only confirmed liquid nicotine-related death occurred in 2012 when a man injected himself with the substance, the New York Daily News reported.
Meanwhile, the AAPCC has requested for federal legislation to compel the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in issuing regulations mandating childproof packaging for liquid nicotine.
