E-cigarettes are often relied upon by those who are trying to give up smoking and find it a more viable alternative to other methods like nicotine patches or gums. However, since they are battery powered, it’s not uncommon to hear about e-cigarettes exploding and causing a lot of physical damage to the user. Following incidents of the lithium-ion batteries in e-cigarettes exploding on ships and injuring sailors, the U.S. Navy has banned them on every ship in its fleet.
E-cigarettes were not regulated prior to 2016 when the FDA finally decided to regulate them. It was quick to ban them from checked baggage on flights. Passengers can only keep e-cigarettes in carry-ons.
The United States Navy is taking no chances, though. There have been 15 reported incidents of e-cigarette lithium-ion batteries exploding between October 2015 and June 2016 in a Navy memorandum. In two of those incidents, the battery exploded when the e-cigarettes were actually in sailor’s mouths.
This ban only applies to use of such devices onboard U.S. Navy ships. Sailors ashore will be able to use their e-cigarettes when they’re on the Navy’s facilities on the land but only in the designated smoking areas.
However, when shipped out, everyone on the ship and that includes visitors and civilians, will have to abide by the ban.
MT @USFleetForces: #USNavy suspends Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems to protect Sailors, ships, & equipment – https://t.co/weefHTR2gh pic.twitter.com/QJbAT7zBMy
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) April 14, 2017
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