by Kristin Harmel
May 06, 2010

At a recent gathering of friends (guys, gals, and one toddler), several of the guys stepped outside to smoke.

“I’d never let anyone smoke around my son,” my friend said to us confidently. “We’re really protective of his health.”

When the guys returned, one of them placed his pack of cigarettes on a nearby coffee table. Within minutes, the curious toddler made his way over to the table and grabbed the pack of cigarettes, intent on exploring its contents. His mother responded by removing the cigarettes from his grasp before he had a chance to put them in his mouth—a minor incident, but it got me thinking about the dangers children face. What if this mother hadn’t been keeping a close eye on her child? What if he’d put one of the cigarettes in his mouth when her back was turned?

The results could have been disastrous.

Thousands of American children are accidentally poisoned each year after eating tobacco products, and new nicotine-loaded products that resemble candy might make the problem even worse, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers looked at reports to U.S. poison control centers from 2006 to 2008 and found that more than 13,000 children under the age of 6 were poisoned during that time period by tobacco products such as cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. More than 70 percent of the children were infants under 12 months. As little as 1 mg of tobacco can induce nausea and vomiting in small children, researchers say, and larger amounts can be fatal.

But it’s new, dissolvable, candy-like nicotine products that really have researchers worried. Recently, the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company launched dissolvable Camel Orbs, which come in cinnamon or mint flavors and resemble small mints. Camel Strips and Camel Sticks can also be tempting to children, the researchers say.

“This product is called a ‘tobacco’ product, but in the eyes of a four year old, the pellets look more like candy than a regular cigarette,” says lead researcher Dr. Gregory N. Connolly, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, in a Harvard press release. “Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and to make it look like a piece of candy is recklessly playing with the health of children.”

The new Camel products are reportedly intended for use by smokers when they’re in a no-smoking area, such as an airplane or restaurant. Nicotine gums and patches are other high-risk items for young children; many nicotine replacement therapies, which are designed to help people quit smoking, contain two to four times the amount of nicotine in a Camel Orb.

The researchers found, based on median body weight, that a 1-year-old infant could suffer mild to moderate symptoms of nicotine poisoning by ingesting 8 to 14 Orbs, 14 Strips, or 3 Sticks.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company says that the Orbs, Strips, and Sticks are sold in child-resistant packaging, and their official response to the Pediatrics article agrees that “tobacco products, along with many other types of goods, need to be kept out of the hands of children.” But researchers say they worry that parents or other adults could accidentally leave the candy-like pellets out in the open where young children could easily gain access.

Keep kids safe from poisoning risks
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, approximately 100 children under the age of 14 die each year in the U.S. from accidental poisonings. Nearly 88,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year due to accidental poisonings. For children under 5, more than half of poisoning exposures are from products commonly found around the house, such as cosmetics, cleaning substances, plants, toys, pesticides, art supplies, and alcohol. Another 44 percent are attributed to medications.

Safe Kids Worldwide recommends the following strategies for keeping children safe from poisoning:

• Store all cleaning products and potentially poisonous household products—including tobacco—out of children’s sight and reach.

• Lock all cabinets containing cleaning products.

• Keep all medications in their original child-resistant packaging and read dosing instructions carefully.

• Know the national, toll-free number for the Poison Help Line: 1-800-222-1222. Callers will be connected to their local Poison Centers immediately.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that most children who swallow a poison are not permanently harmed if parents act quickly and calmly. Being vigilant is the first step; parents should suspect poisoning if a child has an open or empty container of a potentially poisonous substance, especially if the child is acting oddly.

The AAP suggests the following as other potential signs of poisoning:

• Unexplained stains on your child’s clothing
• Burns on her lips or mouth
• Unusual drooling, or odd odors on her breath
• Unexplained nausea or vomiting
• Abdominal cramps without fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Sudden behavior changes, such as unusual sleepiness, irritability, or jumpiness
• Convulsions or unconsciousness (only in very serious cases)

If you suspect that your child has ingested a tobacco product, or any other potentially poisonous substance, call 1-800-222-1222 or 911 immediately.