The FDA is urging e-cigarette manufacturers to look into battery safety issues amid reports of vaping pen explosions.
A Nevada teen suffered a broken jaw when one of the devices suddenly exploded in his mouth last year knocking out several teeth. The case was described in yesterday’s New England Journal of Medicine. According to the Food and Drug Administration, e-cigarette explosions happen when the lithium-ion battery inside a vape pen overheats.
Safety officials say based on their size and shape they behave like "flaming rockets" if the battery fails. At least two deaths are blamed on e-cigarette explosions in the U.S. And that’s why the FDA released guidance to manufacturers last week to provide detailed information about the batteries they use as well as plans to handle malfunctions.
The company that makes the vape pen that exploded, VGOD, hasn’t commented.
Source:NBC News