The safety of electronic cigarettes has been plunged into further
doubt after an electronic cigarette user almost had his legs blown off
due to one of the devices ‘exploding like a grenade’.
Medics that initially treated 48-year-old David Aspinall from Wigan,
thought he had been the unfortunate victim of a gun attack when they
first saw his gruesome, serve injuries.
Mr Aspinall’s life was almost destroyed
by the exploding e-cigarette as his home quickly set ablaze and he then
had to spend 9 days in hospital recovering from the traumatic ordeal.
He was in the middle of using the device when it overheated and
exploded, resulting in shards of metal ripping into his limbs and his
home being set on fire.
Speaking to The Sun, Mr Aspinall, who now faces up to three years of
skin grafts to recover, said: “It glowed and burned in my hand. I
dropped it and it exploded. There was lots of blood, a huge hole in one
leg and a gash in the other. It could have blown my head off. The
surgeon said it was like someone had used a gun.”
Even though ex-decorator Mr Aspinall had suffering shocking injuries
and lost a litre of blood in the process, he managed to reach his
neighbour, who likened the scene to that in a horror film.
Mr Aspinall has now reverted to conventional cigarettes, arguing –
maybe questionably – that they are the safer option: He added: “I’m back
on ciggies. It’s safest”, and is now proceeding to sue the maker of the
Mutant Clone e-cigarette for compensation. The shop who sold him the
device has blamed faulty batteries for the disaster.
This is not the first time an electronic cigarette has exploded
however, and questions will now be raised about the safety of them.
. In August of this year, David Thomson, 62, died at home in
Wallasey, Merseyside, after an e-cigarette he had left to charge then
exploded and ignited oxygen equipment in the same room.
. In April of this year, pensioner Jen Booth was on a ward at
Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, when an e-cigarette ignited her oxygen
supply and engulfed her in flames. The 65-year-old suffered serious
burns.
. In the same month Jen Booth suffered burns, a woman in Barking,
East London required hospital treatment due to smoke inhalation and
shock after her flat was set alight – all because of an e-cigarette
being used with an incompatible charger.
. Also in April, CCTV managed to capture the moment an e-cigarette
exploded into flames at the Buck Inn Hotel in Richmond, South-West
London. Pub worker Laura Baty, 18, was fortunate to escape severe
injury.
It is perhaps for these reasons for many are calling for much tighter regulations on the sale of e-cigarettes. With Stoptober
still having almost a fortnight to run, it could be wise for smokers to
try and quit smoking for good with smoking cessation treatment, such as
Pfizer’s Champix.
This can mimic the effect of nicotine on the body, reduce the urge to
smoke, and even lessen the enjoyment of cigarettes if you do give-in to
willpower and smoke whilst on the treatment. It is available today from
Medical Specialists® Pharmacy from the drastically lowered price of as
little as £27.48* per pack
(*based on a private prescription price).
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