A baby from New York State died after accidentally swallowing the highly toxic liquid nicotine in an e-cigarette, making him the first person in the U.S. to die from this controversial product.

On December 9, police officers received an emergency call from the boy's home in Fort Plain, New York and found the boy unconscious. After paramedics failed to revive him at his home, the baby was brought to Little Falls Hospital and was later pronounced dead.

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Details as to how the boy got hold of the liquid nicotine are still unclear, however.  A police officer who was at the incident said the child swallowed the liquid nicotine from a glass bottle without a child resistant cap.

This tragic accident raised concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes that some use to quit smoking.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) said there's been an increase in the number of liquid nicotine accidents from 1,543 last year to a whopping 3,638 this year.

Over half of these cases involved children younger than six years of age.

Health experts are wary about the dangers posed by liquid nicotine, which is used in the device. Liquid nicotine has to be diluted before it can be ingested by humans via smoke, but in pure liquid form can be very toxic to adults and more so to children.

Just a teaspoon of liquid nicotine can be fatal for children. Small dosages can cause vomiting, a drop in blood pressure, convulsions and breathing difficulties.

Liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes comes in different flavors such as gummy bear and bubblegum that can be very attractive to small kids. The toxic substance comes in colorful packaging and has a pleasant smell, too. Manufacturers have long been asked to make these containers childproof.

The AAPCC is now pleading for federal legislation to compel the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to issue regulations mandating childproof packaging for liquid nicotine.

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