Riverhead, NY - March 20, 2015 - On Monday, March 23, 2015, Suffolk County Executive will sign into law IR 2174-2014, a local law to warn consumers of the dangers of liquid nicotine. The resolution, sponsored by Legislator Sarah Anker, is the first of its kind in New York State, and will require local retailers to post a warning sign where liquid nicotine products are sold to increase awareness of this potent product.
Following the death of a one-year-old child in Fort Plain, New York from ingesting liquid nicotine, Legislator Anker drafted legislation to combat this serious drug. The legislation requires store owners to post a warning sign about the product which will be provided by Suffolk County’s Department of Health Services.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liquid nicotine contains powerful neurotoxins. A small spill onto the hands or other body parts of an adult, child, or household pet can cause nicotine poisoning. Furthermore, according to the National Poison Data System, the number of cases linked to liquid nicotine rose to 300 percent from 2012, and the number is expected to double this year.
Dr. Rachel Boykan, Clinical Associate Professor from the Department of Pediatrics at Stony Brook University will be present to speak about the dangers associated with liquid nicotine poisoning in young children.
A sample of the warning sign will be present at the press event.