Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

E-cigarettes are an emerging threat to children

Afshine Ash Emrani, MD
Meds
June 29, 2014
117 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

There is a new emerging health threat to our children: nicotine poisoning.

The number of nicotine exposures in children reported to the National Poison Data System has more than tripled in the last year.

Here’s the fact every parent should know: 1 tablespoon of nicotine oil can be lethal to a 60-pound child!

When doctors were campaigning against tobacco companies through public health legislation, we did not foresee a resultant new market for smokeless nicotine products. Electronic or e-cigarettes apply a heat source to liquid nicotine, causing it to vaporize, known as “vapes.” Because e-cigarettes burn nothing, they release no smoke. These devices were meant to be used as a bridge to smoking and nicotine cessation. However, many have traded one addiction for another. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to date, at least 1 in 5 smokers has tried e-cigarettes, as have 10% of U.S. high school students.

The market for e-cigarettes is unregulated, ushering in a new generation of products to those who might not have otherwise tried tobacco. As of the spring of 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only regulates therapeutic nicotine products. Unfortunately, there’s no regulation of the recreational nicotine market, such as Nicorette® gum or Nicotrol® inhalers.

Electronic cigarettes deliver a cocktail of toxic chemicals including carcinogens into the lungs. The use of e-cigarettes can make bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics. In a recent study in Circulation, vapers caused significantly higher risk than scientists initially speculated. E-cigarettes deliver high levels of nanoparticles, which trigger inflammation and have been linked to asthma, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.

Worse yet, there’s no child-protective packaging on any of these products. To the contrary, manufacturers are placing child friendly, attractive, cartoon-like labels on products. They add sweet smelling oils or seductive colors together with fruit-like flavors. There is no quality control, no guarantee the consumer is getting what is stated. Because the highly concentrated nicotine solutions used are orders of magnitude higher than traditional, a 15mL vial, or 1 tablespoon can be lethal to a 60-pound child.

Nicotine is a plant based parasympathomimetic alkaloid, an agonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. At low doses, it stimulates the reticular activating system as well as dopamine release, giving the sensation of excitement and happiness. At higher doses, it causes high blood pressure, higher heart rate and can induce a heart attack. In toxic ranges, nicotine causes seizures, central nervous system and cardiovascular collapse, and death.

Please share this information with all educators, parents, nurses, and doctors alike. We need legislation to protect our children. We need responsible reconsideration of commercial sales of these substances.

Liquid concentrated nicotine can easily be the most deadly substance in your house.

Afshine Ash Emrani is a cardiologist and can be reached at Los Angeles Heart Specialists.

Prev

5 messages you should say about your health

June 28, 2014 Kevin 0
…
Next

4 ways EMR companies can stay competitive

June 29, 2014 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Medications, Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
5 messages you should say about your health
Next Post >
4 ways EMR companies can stay competitive

More by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD

  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Is it ever appropriate for us to choose the timing of our death?

    Afshine Ash Emrani, MD
  • Medical lessons from Robin Williams

    Afshine Ash Emrani, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Vitamins are not magic. We need good science and better sense.

    Afshine Ash Emrani, MD

More in Meds

  • The deadly consequences of a shortage: The Pluvicto crisis leaves metastatic prostate cancer patients in limbo

    Matt Drewes
  • The real story of Xylazine contamination in street fentanyl and how we can manage it

    Julie Craig, MD
  • The cannabis education gap: Why patients are left in the dark

    Timothy Byars
  • Are doctors ready to discuss psychedelic therapies with patients?

    Thaís Salles Araujo, MD
  • The rise and dark side of fungi: Exploring health benefits and pathogenic threats

    Sandra Vamos, EdD and Deanna Lernihan, MPH
  • Advocacy and collaboration lead to major patient safety benefits on sterile pharmaceutical compounding: a review of USP’s revisions to Chapter <797>

    Elizabeth Rebello, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing emergency medicine: Overcoming long-term challenges with innovative solutions for physicians and patients

      Anonymous | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • What Drug Did FDA Just Approve for COVID?
  • PET Scan for Alzheimer's Dx; Predicting Colon Cancer Survival
  • What Happens When We Classify Kids' Weight as a 'Disease'?
  • Sotagliflozin Gets FDA's Blessing for Heart Failure
  • Cardiorespiratory Monitoring Can Be Telling of Outcomes in Extremely Preterm Infants

Meeting Coverage

  • No Access to Routine Healthcare Biggest Barrier to HPV Vaccination
  • Trial Results Spark Talk of Curing More Metastatic Cervical Cancers
  • Cross-Border Collaboration Improves Survival in Pediatric Leukemia Patients
  • Monoclonal Antibody Reduced Need For Transfusions in Low-Risk MDS
  • Less-Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer Proves Safe, Effective
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • Unmasking wage disparity in health care: the truth behind the Elmhurst Hospital physician strike

      Kevin Pho, MD | KevinMD
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • How electronic health records preserve patients’ legacies in the words of oncologists

      Marc Braunstein, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Unmasking the brutal reality of gun violence in America: a call to action for unity and meaningful change

      Osmund Agbo, MD | Policy
    • Emulating Michael Jordan’s winning mindset: a path to success for health care professionals and entrepreneurs

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • The growing threat to transgender health care: implications for patients, providers, and trainees

      Carson Hartlage | Policy
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why doctors aren’t to blame for the U.S. opioid crisis [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Raw humanity on night float: inspiring patient encounters and overcoming challenges

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Is AI the solution for the shortage of nephrologists? ChatGPT weighs in.

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Tech
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • Why HIPAA is failing and what you need to know to protect your data [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Revolutionizing emergency medicine: Overcoming long-term challenges with innovative solutions for physicians and patients

      Anonymous | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

E-cigarettes are an emerging threat to children
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...