The Georgia Department of Public Health
Nicotine Poisoning from E-Cigarettes in Georgia
(January 1, 2011 to April 15, 2016)
There were a total of 221 calls made to the Georgia Poison Center about nicotine poisonings from e-cigarettes during January 2011 to April 2016.
There were slightly higher numbers of nicotine poisoning exposures from e-cigarettes among males than females (males 111; females 104).
There was a similar number of nicotine poisoning calls due to e-cigarettes in 2014 (86) as in 2015 (83).
Since 2011, the number of calls about nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes in Georgia sharply increased between 2013 and 2014 and then leveled off between 2014 and 2015 (Figure 1).
Among the 221 calls, routes of nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes were: ingestion (n =156), dermal (n=29), inhalation/nasal (n=21), and ocular (n=13).
The majority (62%; n=138) of e-cigarette nicotine exposures occurred among children aged 0-5 years; 32% (n=71) occurred among adults aged 19 years and older.
The most common routes of exposure for ecigarette nicotine poisoning among children aged 0-5 years were: ingestion of the nicotine liquid (n=119), followed by dermal (n=17) and inhalation/nasal (n=2).
The most common route of exposure for ecigarette nicotine poisoning among adults aged 19 years and older were: ingestion (n=31), followed by inhalation/nasal (n=14), ocular (n=13), and dermal (n=12).
The LaGrange Health District (4-0) had the highest number of calls (n=32) about nicotine poisoning from e-cigarettes (Map 1).
Figure 1. Number of Nicotine Poisonings from E-cigarettes by Year, Georgia, 2011-2015
Data Source: Georgia Poison Center (GPC)
Map 1. Number of Nicotine Poisonings from E-Cigarettes, by Public Health District, Georgia, January 1, 2011 to April 15, 2016
Data Source: Georgia Poison Center (GPC)
1-1.Northwest (Rome) (n=12) 1-2 North Georgia (Dalton) (n=19) 2 North (Gainesville) (n=11) 3-1 Cobb/Douglas (n=12) 3-2 Fulton (n=11) 3-3 Clayton (Morrow) (n=1) 3-4 East Metro (Lawrenceville) (n=11) 3-5 DeKalb (n=10) 4 LaGrange (n=32) 5-1 South Central (Dublin) (n=0) 5-2 North Central (Macon) (n=11) 6 East Central (Augusta) (n=10) 7 West Central (Columbus) (n=10) 8-1 South (Valdosta) (n=9) 8-2 Southwest (Albany) (n=14) 9-1 Coastal (Savannah) (n=11) 9-2 Southeast (Waycross) (n=15) 10 Northeast (Athens) (n=7)
2 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303 | dph.georgia.gov
AUGUST 2016