Ayotte Bill to Child-Proof Liquid Nicotine Containers Advances Out of Committee

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) announced today that the Senate Commerce Committee has approved bipartisan legislation she helped re-introduce to require child-proof packaging for liquid nicotine containers. The Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act (S. 142), re-introduced by Senator Ayotte and Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue a rule requiring safe, child-resistant packaging for liquid nicotine containers.

"Last year, a one-year old boy died after ingesting liquid nicotine," said Senator Ayotte. "This common-sense legislation would help prevent another tragedy like that from taking place again. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues across the aisle to advance this legislation that will save kids' lives."

Senator Ayotte cosponsored the legislation last year after hearing concerns from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center about the dangers associated with accidental ingestion of liquid nicotine. According to Dr. Susanne Tanski, the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Tobacco Consortium and an associate professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, "This is critically important, common-sense legislation, and I applaud the bipartisan efforts of the Senate Commerce Committee to prioritize the safety of our nation's children. Since the introduction of child safety caps on medications in the early 1970's, child poisonings have decreased from more than 500 per year to about 36 per year. The simple and inexpensive requirement of child-proof caps will help to prevent any more tragic deaths from liquid nicotine poisoning." Children's Hospital at Dartmouth and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center support this legislation.

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