Man in serious condition after electronic cigarette blows up in his face
Dimona man suffers first-degree burns to face, chest, after device explodes; transported to Soroka Medical Center for treatment
A 28-year-old Dimona resident was hospitalized in a serious condition on Wednesday after the e-cigarette he was smoking exploded in his face.
The man was reportedly working at a car racing track in the country’s south when the incident occurred.
Bystanders came to the aid of the injured man, calling paramedics to the scene. Magen David Adom paramedics transported the man, who was in a serious condition, to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba for treatment.
“We were called to a man lying next to the road. He was fully conscious and suffering from burns to his chest and bleeding on his face. People at the scene told us he was injured from an electronic cigarette that malfunctioned and exploded,” MDA medics said.
It is unclear what caused the device to explode.
Professor Hagai Levine, a leading public health official, told Channel 12 that the damage done to the injured man “adds to the rest of the damaging health outcomes already proven in electronic cigarettes.”
“The cigarette and e-cigarette companies continue to target young people with the aim of getting them addicted while taking advantage of regulatory weakness,” he said.
In 2019, the Health Ministry considered a total ban on electronic cigarettes, often referred to as vapes, due to reports regarding electronic cigarette-related deaths in the US amid a surge in vape usage, particularly among young people.
In June, the US Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of vape products produced by Juul, due to the high levels of nicotine found in the flavored oils produced by the company.
Israel already placed a ban on importing Juul products containing more than 20 milligrams of nicotine in 2018. Electronic cigarette usage remains legal.
“Today’s action is further progress on the FDA’s commitment to ensuring that all e-cigarette and electronic nicotine delivery system products currently being marketed to consumers meet our public health standards,” FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said at the time.
Twenty-four countries have a total ban on vaping, including Argentina, Brazil, India, and Hong Kong.
Other countries, such as the US and Australia have strict laws surrounding the use and importation of vapes and their associated products.
