Legislation aimed at preventing accidental poisonings of children from electronic cigarettes is advancing in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee has passed a bill requiring liquid nicotine packages to be childproof. The “Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act,” (H.R. 3242), would require manufacturers of liquid nicotine products to meet special packaging standards as defined in the Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970.
It would also codify the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to finalize two rules, one from April 2014 and one from July 2015, that detail how the agency will regulate e-cigarettes.
The bill passed by a voice vote on Sept. 30.
“This legislation will ensure proper protections are in place to prevent unnecessary medical emergencies and deaths, which are on the rise across the country,” Rep Susan Brooks (R-Ind.), a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “There have already been 67 cases of e-cigarette exposure in Indiana alone this year. This legislation is a timely solution to this growing problem.”