The National Poison Data System, America’s Poison Centers reports that toddlers represented 88% of nicotine poisonings over the last 12 months (to 7/31/2025) – and the number of toddler nicotine poisoning cases doubled since 2018. One toddler died.
They write, “The majority of cases reported to poison centers are due to accidental exposures in children less than 6 years old. This reflects the increasing availability of these products [vapes] in the home due to use by guardians or older siblings. Additionally, in the last 5 years, the FDA has warned companies selling e-cigarette devices made in the shape of toys, foods or cartoons that specifically appeal to use by young people.”
Elf Bar, a disposable e-cigarette available in a variety of flavors, was reported in poisoning cases more often than all the other reported brands, the CDC reports, with more than 90% of exposures involving children younger than five. Juul, Vuse and PopVape were the next three highest. *
If you’re an adult choosing to vape, how do you protect children?
- use locked storage for your vape when around children. This includes visits you make to households with children and other locations where children are present like stores, community events or parks. If your vape falls out of your pocket – who will find it?
- don’t toss your used vape in the household trash where small people can pluck it out and play with it.
- don’t refill a vape around children
- wear gloves when refilling vapes so you don’t transfer the liquid to a child’s skin.
Solutions like the RipLok vape case by HabitHalo lock your vape away from children – it only opens when its time for you to take a puff and an alarm sounds if the case is open more than 10 seconds. Plus, getting back in control of your vaping — so you can visit the kid’s party with your vape locked in your car — works even better to reduce the risk of poisoning children.
*Tashakkori NA, Rostron BL, Christensen CH, Cullen KA. Notes from the Field: E-Cigarette–Associated Cases Reported to Poison Centers — United States, April 1, 2022–March 31, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:694–695.
You can reach your local poison center by calling Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. To save the number in your mobile phone, text POISON to 301-597-7137