Be careful what you do with your e cigarette it can poison your child. A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a shocking increase in the number of e cigarette related calls to poison centers. Slightly more than half of the involved children were under the age of five.

In September 2010, the rate was about one call per month, representing about 0.3 percent of calls. By February 2014, the rate rose to 215 per month that’s about 41.7 percent of calls. During the same time period, traditional cigarette related calls did not increase.

Here’s the problem e cigarettes use a liquid that contains nicotine. Children can be poisoned by

• ingestion
• inhalation
• absorption through eyes or skin

Traditional cigarette poisoning usually occurs when children eat them.

“This report raises another red flag about e cigarettes the liquid nicotine used in e cigarettes can be hazardous,” CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. said in a press release. “Use of these products is skyrocketing and these poisonings will continue. E cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavors that are appealing to children.”

The CDC used data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. Calls included in the e cigarette count involved exposure to the e cigarette or to the cartridge of nicotine liquid that the user inserts into the device. The traditional cigarette exposure count included exposure to cigarettes, but did not include cigarette butts. Calls involving multiple exposures were not counted in this study.

The CDC notes that not all cases may have been reported, so the actual number of cigarette poisoning cases may be higher.

E cigarette calls are more likely than traditional cigarette calls to involve an adverse reaction. The most common symptoms include vomiting, nausea and eye irritation.

Don’t let e cigarettes fool you they can poison your children. Keep all cigarettes out of the reach of children.

If you suspect your child has been exposed to a toxic substance, call your local poison control center. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established a Poison Help Number 1 800 222 1222 that will connect you to your local poison center. Keep it programmed into your phone. The Poison Help Line is staffed with trained poison experts it’s free it’s confidential help is available day and night, 365 days a year and translation services are available in many languages.

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E Cigarettes Don’t Curb Regular Cigarette Use in Teens

Main Post Photo Goodluz, photographer iStock collecting Thinkstock

Infographic U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Why cvs is ready to lose billions and stop selling cigarettes – nationaljournal.com

Djarum – wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Ending the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products at CVS/pharmacy is the right thing for us to do for our customers and our company to help people on their path to better health,” said Larry J. Merlo, president and CEO of CVS, in a statement. “Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose.”

But this isn’t just about public health. Already the decision is garnering heavy media coverage, which could serve to counteract the company’s estimated revenue shortfall. The move, which some might see as long overdue at a one stop shop that doubles as a convenience store and pharmacy, could be a savvy publicity coup that builds brand loyalty with certain demographics. That’s especially true of the 67 percent of Americans who view smoking as either an extremely or a very serious problem for society.

Already Wednesday, Merlo appeared on CBS’s This Morning to talk about the decision, and his store. “This decision really underscores the role that CVS is playing in our health care system,” he told Charlie Rose. “There’s a growing emphasis on healthy outcomes, managing chronic disease.” Merlo also said that the $2 billion annual loss is part of his company’s long term growth strategy, and emphasized that “we’re evolving into a health care company.”

And it’s personal. Merlo’s father, he told CBS, was a smoker who died young from cancer. Merlo said he hasn’t yet spoken with other major drugstore executives about the move.

The White House immediately praised the decision. President Obama, who has been a smoker, hailed it as a “powerful example” that could help millions of Americans quit smoking.

“Today’s decision will help advance my administration’s efforts to reduce tobacco related deaths, cancer, and heart disease, as well as bring down health care costs ultimately saving lives and protecting untold numbers of families from pain and heartbreak for years to come,” Obama said.

The pharmacy will also undertake a national smoking cessation program, Merlo said in a statement. The program will begin in the spring and include online resources as well as information and treatment at CVS pharmacies and MinuteClinics.

The announcement comes as efforts to curb tobacco use are again increasing nationwide. The 50th Annual Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Tobacco, released last month, added several ailments to the roster of diseases caused by smoking.

The FDA announced a major antitobacco campaign Tuesday to prevent and reduce smoking among young people.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius joined the president in applauding the decision, calling it an “unprecedented step in the retail industry.”

“We need an all hands on deck effort to take tobacco products out of the hands of America’s young generation, and to help those who are addicted to quit,” she said in a statement. “Today’s CVS Caremark announcement helps bring our country closer to achieving a tobacco free generation.”

CVS is the second largest drugstore chain in the nation, behind Walgreens, which also sells tobacco products. Michael Polzin, a Walgreens spokesman, told the Wall Street Journal that the company has been “evaluating this product category for some time to balance the choices our customers expect from us, with their ongoing health needs.”