WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives on Monday approved bipartisan legislation to protect children from exposure to e-liquids containing nicotine, which are used in e-cigarettes and other e-smoking applications. S. 142, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act, is companion legislation to H.R. 3242, authored by committee member Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), and will ensure child-resistant packaging for e-liquid products that contain nicotine, which can come in many colors and flavors, often appearing attractive to children. The commonsense bill, which passed by voice vote, builds upon the Energy and Commerce Committee’s #RecordOfSuccess. The measure now heads to the president to be signed into law.
“Ben Franklin famously said ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ and that’s what this bill is all about. The bipartisan Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act seeks to prevent a parent’s worst nightmare and keep our kids out of the emergency room," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “I applaud Rep. Susan Brooks for her leadership and commitment to our kids. We should all be proud of this commonsense bill which builds upon our committee’s record of success."
“A package holding a substance as potentially lethal as liquid nicotine should be childproof. This bipartisan and commonsense legislation will improve the safety of liquid nicotine packages in order to protect children and reduce the risks of accidental poisoning, while also allowing FDA to continue its comprehensive work on e-cigarettes. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially Congresswoman Esty, for raising awareness about this important issue and continuing to move this bill forward," added Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
“Child safety packaging is a natural solution to the growing number of people, especially children, experiencing medical emergencies and even death from swallowing or touching liquid nicotine products," said Brooks. “A teaspoon of concentrated liquid nicotine can be fatal for the average toddler. We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us, and this legislation will help safeguard young lives."
“Liquid nicotine is a poison that comes in a variety of flavors - like orange, grape, bubble gum, and cotton candy - that appeal to kids," said Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). “Yet there is no current standard to protect children from coming into contact with liquid nicotine. This bipartisan bill takes that common sense and overdue step, and I look forward to the president signing it into law."
