FORT PLAIN, New York (PIX11) – An upstate toddler died Tuesday after police say he swallowed liquid nicotine meant for an electronic cigarette.
Emergency workers responding to a 911 call found the one-year-old boy “unresponsive” in the Mohawk Valley home, according to the Times Union.
Nicotine is extremely toxic, even in small doses, and must be diluted before it can be inhaled in electronic cigarettes. The boy, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Police Sgt. Austin Ryan said that the death appeared to be “a tragic accident.” The nicotine was stored in a glass bottle with no childproof cap.
A bill passed in June by the state legislature would mandate childproof caps for liquid nicotine, but it has yet to be signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The popularity of electronic cigarettes has resulted in a spike in 911 calls — jumping from one per month in September 2010 to 215 per month in February 2014 — with more than half involving children under the age of five.
The boy’s death is still under investigation.
