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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
The child, aged one or two, is filmed inhaling smoke from the electronic cigarette, before smiling at the camera. This video was shocking and serves as a reminder of the potentially fatal risks of nicotine for a child. Update with Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo.
The scene takes place in Scotland: a young child is filmed vaping, watched by a group of adults. The video was reported to social services and local police, leading to two women being charged.
Vapes are not intended for children
Upon seeing these images, thousands of Internet users were outraged for this child, exposed to the dangerous substances contained in electronic cigarettes.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo, reminds us that we do not know exactly “the composition of the different liquids found in electronic cigarettes” neither “the consequences of this type of substance on a lung in training“.
“Electronic cigarettes are a tobacco cessation tool, for people who want to quit smoking, so they are normally reserved for adults“recalls the doctor.
The website of the National Health Service, the British health service, warns in the same way. “Vaping devices are not intended for children or non-smokers. A person who uses them may become addicted to nicotine and have difficulty quitting vaping.”.
Nicotine is a neurotoxicant
The problem, underlines Gérald Kierzek, is that “of the aromas fruity ingredients that compose it, the vape can be mistaken for candy and used by adolescents, or even accidentally by children, as is the case here“Not forgetting the toxicity of nicotine,”dangerous for young people“.
THE Belgian poison control center reminds that “Nicotine is (…) a powerful neurotoxicant used in pesticides. Nicotine is also toxic for the man. A cigar contains enough nicotine to kill a young child if they swallow it. A cigarette, “light” or not, contains enough nicotine to cause serious poisoning in a child. Chewing cigarette butts can also be dangerous. This also applies to nicotine patches and chewing gum which are used as a smoking cessation aid.“.
And the experts go on to specify that: “If the child has ingested more than one cigarette or more than three cigarette butts, he or she should be taken to the hospital for observation and monitoring of the heart rate. If the amount ingested cannot be determined, the child should also be taken to hospital“.
In November 2023, ANSES launched an alert concerning nicotine and tobacco sachets as well as aromatic beads causing multiple poisonings in children and adolescents.
“The child is safe and sound,” reports local police
According to the Scottish police who reported this story, the child is “safe and sound”, but the incident shocked a large part of the population. Ayrshire MP Siobhian Brown said she was deeply shocked:
“I was horrified to see images of a toddler vaping on social media. Vaporizers are not harmless and contain nicotine and dangerous toxins that can damage young developing lungs. I hope this is an isolated incident and that most responsible parents will know the dangers involved.” she insisted.
Before expressing his concern about “the increase in vaping among young people, particularly due to the different attractive flavors and the accessibility of disposable vapes“. And to conclude on the importance of setting up a “law to ban disposable e-cigarettes in Scotland from next year.