Tobacco-related Poison Events Involving Young Children in the US, 2001-2016

Abstract

Objective: In this paper, we describe trends in tobacco-related poison exposure calls (calls) involving young children in the US. Methods: Data were from the National Poison Data System between January 1, 2001 and October 31, 2016. We analyzed data on calls involving children younger than 5 years old. We describe trends in calls over time and call frequency by age, tobacco product type, level of care, and other characteristics of calls. Results: During 2001–2016, there were 123,876 calls involving young children. During the study period, calls increased for most product types; e-cigarette-related calls increased from 7 in 2010 to 2558 in 2015. In calls with information on level of care (92.2%), 278 children were admitted to an intensive care unit, 497 were admitted to a hospital noncritical care unit, and 19,834 were treated and released. Conclusions: Tobacco-related poison events commonly occur in the US and can have serious health consequences. More than 123,000 events among young children were reported during 2001–2016, but this likely represents a small portion of actual tobacco-related poison events due to underreporting. It is critical to continue to monitor tobacco-related poison events and develop strategies to prevent tobacco-related harm.

Adults’ Perceptions of Nicotine Harm to Children

“…Authors of previously published research have demonstrated that after cigarettes, ENDS products 21,22 and chewing tobacco 21 have been the principal sources of unintended nicotine exposure in children since 2012. The increasing use of ENDS and other noncombusted tobacco products in the US adult population 1 -5 presents new sources of nicotine consumption and exposure not only to the users but also to the children who live with them.…”

“…28 The number of cases of nicotine poisonings resulting from children ingesting e-liquids has risen sharply in recent years. 21,22,29 Although there was a 21% reduction in the number of reported e-liquid exposures in the months after a federal statute for childproof packaging became effective in July 2016, several hundred such Perceptions of nicotine harm to children were elicited with the following question regarding children <13 y old: "Tobacco products, including electronic vapor products, contain nicotine. When used by the following groups, how harmful is nicotine in amounts usually found in tobacco products?"…”

“…12 -15 Although certain modes of nicotine delivery may reduce smoking-caused harm for adults, both acute and chronic exposures to nicotine are known to cause significant harm to children from fetal development through birth, childhood, and adolescence. 16 -20 Unintended direct nicotine exposure among children caused by handling or ingesting tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, nicotine electronic cigarette liquid (e-liquid) used in ENDS, nicotine gums, and other noncigarette nicotine products has been increasing steadily and significantly over the past decade in the United States, 21,22 resulting in clinical sequelae ranging from mild illness to death. 21 -23 Although it would be ideal if all adults possessed a basic understanding of nicotine's harmfulness to children, there are likely more acute needs and information deficits among specific subgroups of the population that contribute to this problem.…”

Burn Injuries Related to E-Cigarettes Reported to Poison Control Centers in the United States, 2010-2019

“…In 2019, we analyzed data from NPDS, a data repository of injury and poisoning exposure calls to PCCs in the U.S. Details of NPDS have been described elsewhere (11). Brie y, NPDS stores information on injury and poisoning events involving more than 437,000 products, including e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, reported to PCCs (12).…”

Burn Injuries Related to E-Cigarettes Reported to Poison Control Centers in the United States, 2010-2019

“…In 2019, we analyzed data from NPDS, a data repository of injury and poisoning exposure calls to PCCs in the U.S. Details of NPDS have been described elsewhere (11). Briefly, NPDS stores information on injury and poisoning events involving more than 437,000 products, including e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, reported to PCCs (12).…”