If San Francisco needed support for its recent ban on e-cigarette sales, a recent serious injury involving a vape pen may provide it. A 17-year-old Nevada resident who was trying to quit smoking turned to e-cigarettes as a replacement. Shortly after his mother bought the vape pen, it exploded in his mouth, causing a broken jaw and knocking out several teeth.
About the Accident
The vape pen was manufactured by a company called VGOD. After the explosion, the teen came into the room with his hand to his mouth and was in shock. His mother had to drive five hours to Salt Lake City, the nearest medical facility that could handle the injury. The explosion caused several injuries, including burns around his lip, a blast injury to his lower jaw, vaporized gum tissue and a torn hole through his gums. Surgeons had to sew the boy’s gumline back together and put metal plates in the jawbone to stabilize it. He also needed temporary braces. The injury resulted in his jaw being wired shut for six weeks during which time he was primarily on a liquid diet.
Smoking Statistics
According to the teen safety advocacy site Teen Help, 3,800 children under 18 try smoking for the first time, of which 2,100 will continue to smoke. This results in 766,500 new teen smokers every year. 24.6 percent of all high school students reported using tobacco at least once I the last 30 days with electronic cigarettes having the highest rate of usage, according to the CDC’s Youth and Tobacco Use report. The CDC reports that 9 out of 10 cigarette smokers try cigarettes before age 18 and 98 percent try it by age 26. The number of middle school and high school students who used e-cigarettes increased to 3.6 million in 2018 from 2.1 million in 2017. One out of 20 middle school students reported using electronic cigarettes in the last month while one out of five high school students reported the same.
Estimates are that if current trends continue, 5.6 million youth will prematurely die from a smoking-related illness, which represents one in 13 young people today.
Several states have already taken the initiative to raise the legal smoking age to 21 from 18 in hopes that this will deter teen smoking.
E-Cigarette Injury Statistics
The 17-year-old’s injury is not an isolated event. From 2015 to 2017, there were 2,035 visits to emergency rooms in the United States due to e-cigarette burns and explosions caused by these devices. This represents two visits a day during this time period. Some of these cases involved severe injuries, such as the loss of eight teeth, lost parts to the face, lost roof of the patient’s mouth or damage to their eyes. However, doctors believe that they are likely more such injuries and that these numbers are underreported and are not being tracked by an outside agency. Additionally, this number only accounts for the emergency room visits that stemmed from such incidents and does not include situations in which the injury was treated in a trauma center, urgent care facility or local physician.
At least two people in the United States are known to have died from explosions caused by e-cigarettes. One such death was of a 24-year-old man in Texas who died in January 2019 when his e-cigarette exploded, which resulted in a metal component of the pen projecting into his neck and severing an artery in the process. A Florida man died in a house fire in 2018 that was believed to have been started by an e-cigarette explosion.
Guidance on E-Cigarette Manufacturing
The FDA is aware of the possibility of e-cigarette explosions and that they occur when the lithium-ion battery in these devices overheats. This agency is responsible for the regulation of all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. The FDA has previously written warning letters to manufacturers of these devices about marketing violations and illegal sales to minors, they have yet to release such letters regarding the potential for explosions. The FDA’s strategy has been to suggest that these manufacturers rework the batteries in their devices so that they are less likely to overheat.
The FDA recently finalized guidance for e-cigarette manufacturers who are submitting new applications for their products and recommends that companies provide detailed information about the batteries in their devices and their plans to address the possibility of overheating, fire and explosions. It further states that companies interested in addressing safety issues should contact the agency to discuss various options.
The U.S. Fire Administration released a report in 2017 that the shape and the way e-cigarettes are made can increase the likelihood that they will act like “flaming rockets” when the battery fails.
The FDA recommends that consumers look for safety features in their e-cigarettes, such as firing button locks and ventilation holes.
Get Help if You Were Injured
If you were injured by a e-cigarette explosion or another dangerous product, it is important that you understand your legal rights and options. Our knowledgeable product liability lawyers can investigate your case and determine if you have a valid claim for a defective product case. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
