Washington D.C. — Today, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade approved the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015. The bill now moves to the full Committee for its consideration. Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, and Kids In Danger issued the following joint statement:
With the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes, poison-control centers are reporting a sharp increase in the number of people sickened by exposure to the toxic, highly-concentrated nicotine used for vaping. Most of those affected are children, who may be attracted to the often brightly-colored liquid that can be marketed as having a sweet, candy-like flavor.
Only one teaspoon of this liquid nicotine can be fatal to a young child. That’s why a child-resistant packaging requirement, which the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act would include, is so important. This bill also ensures that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can continue to work to address the hazards posed by liquid nicotine to children. We thank the Subcommittee for their attention to this issue. We urge Congress, the FDA, other federal agencies and stakeholders to act to protect children from the hazards posed by liquid nicotine.
Contacts: Rachel Weintraub, CFA 202-939-1012; Nancy Cowles, KID 312-595-0649; William Wallace, CU 202-462-6262
The Consumer Federation of America is a nonprofit association of nearly 300 consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. www.consumerfed.org
Kids In Danger (KID) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by improving children’s product safety. KID was founded in 1998 by the parents of sixteen-month-old Danny Keysar who died in his Chicago childcare home when a portable crib collapsed around his neck. www.KidsInDanger.org
Consumers Union is the public policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports. Consumers Union works for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers, and to empower consumers to protect themselves, in the areas of telecommunications reform, health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues. Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications. www.consumersunion.org