A nine-year-old girl from New Brunswick was taken to hospital after ingesting e-cigarette liquid from the “Unicorn Milk” brand.
Lea L'Hoir, the mother of the 9-year-old girl, called Ottawa to ask them to quickly ban products with names and labels that appeal to young children.
The federal Liberals introduced new legislation late last fall that would ban adult products from being labeled as appealing to children or using cartoon characters in their advertising. The bill is currently undergoing a third reading before it goes to the Senate.
“I look forward to seeing that bill voted on at the federal level,” L'Hoir said in an interview.
Mrs. L'Hoir and the essential oil bottle that caused the accident
L'Hoir said her daughter and some friends found a purple tube with a rainbow printed on it in a Fredericton playground on Monday.
She said the label had a pink and purple unicorn on it and the smell was so good that the children thought it was candy and each of them swallowed a little.
Her daughter was taken to the hospital with symptoms including nausea, dizziness and chest pain. Doctors said she had mild nicotine poisoning. She was treated and released the same day.
L'Hoir said she was scared and had trouble sleeping because she was worried about her child. She wants assurances from the federal government that the new law will ban child-friendly labels and scents from essential oil manufacturers.
“I didn't sleep, didn't dare sleep all day yesterday,” L'Hoir said. “I was terrified that my baby might die if he accidentally ingested more than a few drops of the essential oil.”
The bill, which is being reviewed before being introduced in the Senate, would also ban the sale of vape products that have “an appearance, shape, characteristics or operation that makes them attractive to children.”
Parents hope the law will be introduced soon.
The mother said she wishes the legislation had been introduced sooner, and hopes Health Canada will test the products coming into vape shops and come up with a list of prohibited products.
Trevor Bostick, who makes and sells “Unicorn Milk” at New Beginnings Vape in Fredericton, said he has pulled the product from his shelves and is looking forward to the new law being implemented.
He said he was shocked to learn that a child had to be hospitalized after accidentally drinking his product.
“It was a terrible feeling…It left me very confused and panicked. I couldn't sleep that night,” he confided.
“We will not be making any more products with cartoon labels.”
Bostick shared that he would be happy to see standardized guidance for clearer labels come out.
Source: Michael Tutton - huffingtonpost.ca
