E-cigarettes seem to be everywhere. Currently 32% of adult smokers use e-cigarettes, and Bloomberg Industries expects e-cigarettes sales to surpass regular cigarette sales by 2023. But e-cigarettes have their own unique problems compared to traditional cigarettes; they are unregulated and fires caused by them have been increasing as the industry expands.
Take these steps to help minimize the fire risk when using electronic cigarettes:
- Do not leave your e-cigarette unattended while charging. There have been documented cases of e-cigarettes exploding while charging.
- Some e-cigarette batteries do not have an automatic shut off when fully charged resulting in a greater fire risk.4 Unplug the e-cigarette as soon as it is done charging.
- Only use the charger that was provided by the manufacturer with the purchase of the e-cigarette. Contact the manufacturer for replacement chargers.
- Know what you’re buying. While there is no safety testing standards for e-cigarettes there are safety standards for some of their components. Make sure the battery and chargers being used have been tested by Underwriters Laboratories or any other nationally recognized testing laboratory.
Sources: http://www.businessweek.com, http://www.fda.gov, http://www.ci.medford.or.us
