The Food and Drug Administration is concerned about incidents of overheating, fires, and explosions of e-cigarettes, or “vapes,” which in some cases have resulted in serious injuries. The agency is reviewing these types of incidents and has taken steps to protect the public.
The FDA recently developed resources for consumers, including tips to help avoid e-cigarette overheating and explosions, as well as social media tools to help spread the word about protective steps. The agency also has a reporting system to collect information about adverse experiences associated with e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. Comprehensive and accurate reports could provide evidence to help inform future actions to protect the public.
Dr. Matthew R. Holman
For e-cigarette users: Tips to help prevent fires and explosions
Learn about your device.
The best protection against battery explosions may be knowing about your device and how to handle and charge its batteries appropriately. Read and follow the manufacturer’s use and care recommendations. If the e-cigarette did not come with instructions or you have additional questions, contact the manufacturer.
Consider using e-cigarettes with protective features.
Some e-cigarettes have features such as firing button locks, vent holes, and protection against overcharging. These features are designed to prevent battery overheating and explosions, so do not remove or disable them.
Choose batteries carefully and replace them if necessary:
• Use only the batteries recommended for your device. Do not mix different brands, different charge levels, or old and new batteries in the same device.
• Replace the batteries if they get damaged or wet. If your e-cigarette is damaged and the batteries are not replaceable, contact the manufacturer.
• Stop using the device under certain circumstances. Although battery explosions can occur with no warning, you should immediately stop using your e-cigarette and get a safe distance from it if you notice any of these during use or while charging: strange noises; unusual smells; a leaking battery; the e-cigarette becoming unusually hot; or the device beginning to smoke, spark, emit flashes, or catch fire.
Be aware when charging your e-cigarette:
• Use only the charger that came with your device, and never charge it with a phone or tablet charger.
• Charge the device on a clean, flat surface, in a place you can clearly see it, and away from anything that can easily catch fire. Do not leave the e-cigarette charging on a surface such as a couch or pillow, where it may be more likely to overheat or turn on unintentionally.
• Do not charge the device overnight or leave it charging unattended.
Know this about carrying and storing your e-cigarette:
• Keep your e-cigarette covered. If you are carrying it in your pocket, avoid having it come in contact with coins or loose batteries.
• Protect the e-cigarette from extreme temperatures. Do not leave it in direct sunlight or in your car in extremely cold or hot temperatures.
Report any problems.
If something goes wrong with an e-cigarette, please submit a report to https://www.safetyreporting.hhs.gov
To make it easy to share the FDA’s top tips, the agency has developed a 5 Tips to Help Avoid “Vape” Battery Explosion infographic.
This infographic and other public-health resources can be found on a dedicated CTP webpage, which offers shareable and downloadable content to help spread the word about e-cigarette battery issues, as well as a video on how to report adverse experiences related to tobacco products to the FDA.
When a fire or explosion does occur: The Safety Reporting Portal
The CTP identified 143 reported incidents of e-cigarette overheating, fires, and explosions during 2009-2015, and 20 additional reports during 2016. Based on the FDA’s experience with underreporting of adverse events for other regulated products, the number of actual events is probably higher.
The FDA is working to collect more information to identify the true number of events and why these incidents are occurring. The agency has a Safety Reporting Portal (SRP) dedicated to receiving reports of issues associated with FDA-regulated products, including e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The FDA strongly encourages any physicians, other health care professionals, or those with firsthand knowledge about an unexpected e-cigarette incident to report it through the SRP. Family physicians can play a valuable reporting role by informing patients about the reporting system, helping people submit complete information about incidents related to e-cigarettes, or providing information about an incident on a patient’s behalf.
To report an e-cigarette failure or other tobacco-related adverse event, please go to the SRP and follow the instructions in each section. Those unable to use the SRP to submit a report can call 877-CTP-1373 or email AskCTP@fda.hhs.gov.
The more complete and accurate a report is, the more helpful it can be to the FDA and, in turn, to public health. When submitting a report about an e-cigarette, please include:
• E-cigarette manufacturer’s name.
• E-cigarette’s brand name, model, and serial number.
• Battery’s brand name and model.
• Place the e-cigarette was purchased.
• Whether, and how, the product was being used at the time of the incident.
• Whether the product was used differently than intended by the manufacturer.
• Whether the product was modified in any way.
To collect as much detail as possible, the FDA encourages those submitting reports to upload photos or other files, such as police or hospital reports. They also appreciate submission of contact information, such as a phone number or email address, which will help the agency follow up with any questions related to the report. Personal information will not be shared or used for any additional matter and is protected by security practices. The HHS Privacy Policy contains more information.
Ongoing public health protection efforts
The FDA continues to evaluate possible ways to protect the public from device-related fires and explosions. During a public workshop in April, the FDA heard from experts including scientists, engineers, and e-cigarette manufacturers and retailers, as well as from the general public, about hazards and possible solutions related to batteries in e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems. Also, the agency’s premarket review process for electronic nicotine delivery systems includes an assessment of device operation and any features that may reduce the risks associated with product use, including testing related to overheating and exploding batteries.
Through these and other measures, the FDA is committed to identifying and addressing factors leading to e-cigarette overheating and any subsequent injuries. Health care professionals can help by spreading the word about the agency’s user tips and reporting portal.
To learn more broadly about the FDA’s ongoing efforts to protect the public health by regulating the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products, please visit the Center for Tobacco Products website.
Dr. Holman is director of the office of science at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.