Electronic Cigarettes, Including the Eleaf iStick and Cloupor Mini, May Have Serious Safety Issues
Many popular models of electronic cigarettes are exploding and catching fire at alarming rates.
The device many use as a safer alternative to cigarettes could actually pose an unanticipated hazard: fire and explosion.
In recent months, several serious safety issues have been reported in connection with several popular models of e-cigarettes. Most notably, many users have reported that the Eleaf iStick 50W, one of the most popular batteries on the market, “autofires,” meaning that an unattended battery spontaneously heats up the metal coil in the atomizer – the coil that is heated when a user presses a button on the battery. Although Eleaf advertises that its devices have numerous safety features, including an automatic cutoff after 10 seconds of use, many users have reported that their devices have bypassed this cutoff and caught fire or exploded after repeatedly “autofiring.” To date, Eleaf has not responded to these reports.
Problems have also been reported with batteries manufactured by Cloupor, including the Cloupor mini. Specifically, users have reported that the battery housing has burned or melted when the unit is charged using a computer USB charger or a car charger. Cloupor has acknowledged that some of its devices have a defect, which may cause the device to “overheat or short circuit.”
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “[e]lectronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor and other chemicals.” The popularity of e-cigarettes has increased rapidly, particularly among people who are attempting to quit using traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Despite this increase in popularity, e-cigarettes are largely unregulated and have not been extensively studied, so the potential risks and the efficacy as a smoking cessation aid are currently unknown.
The problems associated with these devices appear to be widespread and pose serious risks to users of e-cigarettes. The attorneys at Simmons Law Firm have years of experience investigating and litigating cases involving defective products. If you or someone you know would like to speak to an attorney regarding your legal rights, please contact Simmons Law Firm at 803-779-4600, toll-free at 888-715-8818, or online at www.simmonslawfirm.com for a free initial consultation.
