CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A new warning was handed down straight from the federal government Tuesday about potent nicotine liquid essentially disguised as candy that's killing and sickening thousands of kids.
The FDA is now cracking down on companies that make electronic cigarette liquid, sending official warnings to 13 companies ordering them to stop packaging their products in ways that resemble kid-friendly candies and foods.
Many of the e-liquid packaging and labels bear images of cookies, cool whip, and candy. However, none of those things are inside the box. Instead, it's a potent e-cigarette liquid.
While the labels look delicious, a few drops could cause cardiac arrest, seizures, comas, and even death in young children. The FDA said what these companies are doing is not only dangerous but also illegal.
In the past five years, more than 8,000 young children have been sickened because they tried to drink e-liquid, with e-cig related calls to poison control centers skyrocketing 1,500%.