E-Cigarette Battery Explosions Spark Safety Concerns
BOSTON (CBS) -- There's been a lot of debate about what you're inhaling when you take a drag from an electronic cigarette, but now doctors and fire officials are sounding an alarm about the mechanics of the devices themselves.
One exploded in a 17-year-old girl's hand in Brookline, NH, last week, causing major burns. Doctors at Shriners hospitals for Children in Boston say they've seen similar cases.
"It's kind of an unregulated gray area," said Dr. Robert Sheridan. "Even though these incidents are rare, if you use them enough as a population of people, there will be problems."
In the five years before 2014, more than 2.5 million Americans reported using e-cigarettes. There were 25 explosions or fires involving them nationwide, leading to nine injuries.
Experts say accidents happen when users combine e-cigarette parts that aren't meant to go together, or use batteries and chargers that aren't compatible. At The Vape Shop in Brighton, owner Vincent Soohoo requires customers to sign a disclaimer acknowledging it's not safe to mix and match parts from different kinds of devices.
"We try to educate everyone when they purchase a product. We teach them how to fill it, how to use it, what not to do," said Soohoo.
Sales of e-cigarettes more than doubled last year, totaling an estimated at $1.7 billion.
